Lanka has 3,000 HIV victims
Nadira Gunatilleke
|
World AIDS Day today
The national ceremony to
mark the World AIDS Day will be held at the Sri Lanka
Foundation Institute, Colombo 7 today at 3 p.m with the
participation of Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena, Youth
Affairs and Skills Development Minister Dullas Alahapperuma
and Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms Minister Chandrasiri
Gajadhira. |
An estimated 3,000 persons have been found to be living with HIV in
Sri Lanka as at 2009, Dr Shantha Hettiarachchi of the Health Education
Bureau revealed.
According to Dr Hettiarachchi the first case of HIV infection in Sri
Lanka was reported in 1986. Since then 1,285 infected cases have been
reported till the end of September 2010. The number of infected persons
who developed AIDS were 332. Of the total number of 1,285, 46 children
contacted the disease from infected mothers at the time of birth. 99
percent of mothers contacted the disease from their husbands. Total
number of deaths, caused by HIV/AIDS were 216 during this twenty four
year period.
|
