HIV/AIDS on the rise; 200+ cases, 13 deaths in first quarter

Colombo, June 05 (Daily Mirror) -  Sri Lanka faces a worrying upswing in HIV/AIDS cases, with over 200 new infections and 13 deaths reported in the first quarter alone in 2024.

According to the National STD/AIDS Control Programme, Sri Lanka has logged 207 HIV/AIDS cases in the first quarter in 2024 (January to March).

This reflects 25 per cent increase compared to the corresponding period in 2023, which saw 165 cases.

Out of the cases reported in the first quarter 2024, 23 males and five females fall within the age range of 15-24, while the remaining cases are individuals above 25 years old.

The male-to-female ratio of reported HIV cases in 2024 stands at 7:1.

Further, a total of 13 HIV/AIDS related deaths were reported during the said period.

The fourth quarter in 2023 (October-December) marked the highest number of cases (209) reported in a single quarter since 2009.

Meanwhile, 2023 has reported 43 deaths related to HIV/AIDS.

Commenting on the situation, Consultant Venereologist Dr. Vino Dharmakulasinghe, the Director at the National STD/AIDS Control Programme told Daily Mirror that they continue to notice a notable uptick in HIV cases since 2018.

When asked about the reason for the rise in cases, Dr Dharmakulasinghe noted that the increase in cases can be attributed to the expansion of the testing capacity, the poor knowledge among people on sex education and risky sexual behaviour and not taking pertinent precautions.