Sri Lanka sees uptick in HIV/AIDS cases in 2023

By Sheain Fernandopulle
Sri Lanka has experienced a significant surge in HIV/AIDS cases in 2023 recording close to 700 cases. According to the National STD/AIDS Control Programme, Sri Lanka has logged 694 cases reflecting a 13 per cent increase compared to the year 2022, which saw 607 cases.

Out of the cases reported in 2023, 91 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 2023 stands at 7.5:1. The fourth quarter (October-December) marked the highest number of cases (209) reported in a single quarter since 2009.

Furthermore, 2023 has reported 59 deaths related to HIV/AIDS while Sri Lanka has conducted 1,068,309 HIV tests in 2023.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has officially reported 11 HIV cases among the transgender community, while a total of 4,706 males and 1,472 females have contracted HIV thus far since 2009. Commenting on the situation, Dr Janaki Vidanapathirana, the Director at the National STD/AIDS Control Programme told Daily Mirror that they had noticed a notable uptick in HIV cases in 2023.
When asked about the reason for the rise in cases, Dr Vidanapathirana 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 behaviours and not taking pertinent precautions.