16-year-old and three 18-year-olds are among the newly registered HIV positive people in Bulgaria this year, Dr. Tonka Varleva, director of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Program, said at a press conference, cited by FOCUS News Agency.
An HIV positive child whose mother is HIV positive was registered. Approximately 60% of the newly registered cases in the past 11 months of the year are from the city of Sofia (44 people) and the region of Plovdiv (20 people). 17 people were registered in the city of Pazardzhik, 10 – in the city of Varna, and 7 – in the district of Sofia. In the other regions the cases are less than 5.
There are countries in the region which are in a real epidemic – more than 1% of the people are infected with HIV.
The registered HIV positive people are aged between 16 and 66. The average age among men is 31 and among women – 32, and it is continuing to fall.
The Ministry of Healthcare donates 15 cars to NGOs to assist them in the anti-AIDS campaign.
For the sixth year in a row the ministry and HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Program in cooperation with Regional Inspectorates for Public Health Preservation and Control, municipalities, NGOs and the media organize a national anti-AIDS campaign at three stages – on December 1 – World AIDS Day, February 14 – Saint Valentine’s Day, and International AIDS Candlelight Memorial, which occurs on the third Sunday of May.
