Prague, Dec 20 (CTK) – A total of 242 new HIV cases were registered in the Czech Republic in the first 11 months of the year, which is seven more than in the whole of 2013 when the number of new cases was at a record level, according to the data CTK has received from the HIV/AIDS National Reference Laboratory.
The laboratory of the State Health Institute said this year, the number of AIDS patients has increased by 27 and seven people have died.
The total number of 2596 infected people – 2197 men and 399 women – have been registered in the country in the almost 30 years of registration.
AIDS has developed in 455 people and 234 persons have died.
Experts warn of the growing number of infected people in the past few years.
Representatives from NGOs and doctors say the fear of the disease has subsided, people stop protecting themselves from it and they also rely on modern treatment thanks to which the ill can live longer.
Doctors, however, say the therapy is very unpleasant even though it now has fewer side effects, and it cannot cure the disease.
Last year, doctors registered 232 new HIV cases and in 2013, there were 235 of them. The figures for the years 2008-2012 were 148, 156, 180, 153 and 212, respectively.
This year, some 103,000 tests have been performed, including on 74,000 blood, organ and tissue donors. Pregnant women underwent 11,000 checks. Some 2100 people were tested at their own request. The infection was confirmed in 26 men and three women.
The Czech Republic is one of the countries with a low incidence of the infection, both in Europe and the world. But it no longer ranks among the countries with the lowest figures.
ms/dr
