- Today marks World AIDS Day
Sri Lanka has recorded a cumulative total of 6,126 HIV cases since 2019 until yesterday (30 November), with the majority of those affected being males, numbering 4,643, the Ministry of Health’s National STD/AIDS Control Programme (NSACP) said.
The number of females infected stands at 1,472, while 11 transgender individuals have also contracted the virus.
As illustrated in the NSACP’s 2nd Quarterly Report on HIV for 2024, a total of 214 new cases of HIV have been reported during the period of three months spanning April to June.
Out of this 214, 28 persons are reported to be between the ages of 15-24.
Following the previous quarter’s (January to March) total report of 207 cases (23 males and five females in the said age range), the total number of HIV cases adds up to a staggering 421 in just eight months.
The report further showcased the male-to-female ratio of reported HIV cases in 2024 and 2023 as being 7:1.
When contacted by The Sunday Morning, NSACP Director Dr. Vindya Kumarapeli stated that since the increase of Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) cases was primarily amongst the youth, it was vital for the country to promote awareness in order to combat this prevalent issue.
“The NSACP promotes awareness through our various programmes, where we educate people about safe sex, although our focus is mainly aimed towards universities, higher education institutes, vocational training, and so on,” she said.
Dr. Kumarapeli further stated that branching such educational discussions towards younger audiences at school level needed to be commenced in a timely and appropriate manner, especially due to the social stigma surrounding this topic.
She added that initiatives such as the testing of HIV without charge and the free distribution of condoms, as well as oral HIV self-test kits, were conducted by the programme.
“Between 2018 and 2021, we saw around 250-350 cases,” Dr. Kumarapeli continued. “Although this number isn’t something that has occurred all of a sudden, it is still a notable increase in comparison to the past.”
Contracted through the exchange of certain bodily fluids via actions such as sexual intercourse, sharing needles and syringes or other drug injection equipment, and even breastfeeding, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system.
The first detected case of HIV in Sri Lanka was in 1986. Throughout the decades, the country has kept this disease under control due to effective control programmes, with the prevalence having been kept at a low level of less than 0.1% in the general adult population.
Today (1) marks World AIDS Day, a global observance dedicated to raising awareness about the ongoing fight against HIV and supporting those living with the virus.