HIV infections rising in Armenia
Health officials have reported an increase in HIV infection rates in Armenia in recent years.
A total of 462 new HIV cases were confirmed in the country as of October 31 2024, Anna Mergelyan, head of the Monitoring and Evaluation Department at the National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID), told a news conference on Monday.
The highest prevalence was recorded in Shirak Province.
Transmission of HIV through heterosexual contact accounted for 81%, while homosexual transmission increased to 12%.
“HIV transmission through injection of drugs accounted for 6%,” Mergelyan said.
The expert revealed that after the first HIV case was registered in Armenia 1988. By the end of October 2024, as many as 6,076 HIV infections were recorded in the country, with 438 cases diagnosed among foreign citizens.
Increasing awareness of HIV plays a critical role in the fight against the infection, specialists say ahead of World Aids Day observed on December 1.