HIV/AIDS situation in 2009 reviewed

2 Mar 2010

A total of 396 new cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) were reported to the Department of Health (DH) in 2009, compared to 435 reported cases the preceding year.

Reviewing the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) situation in Hong Kong at a press conference today (March 2), the Consultant (Special Preventive Programme) of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the DH, Dr Wong Ka-hing, said sexual transmission remained the major mode of HIV transmission in Hong Kong.

Of the 396 new cases, 108 acquired the infection via heterosexual exposure and 162 via homosexual or bisexual contact. There were also 14 cases of drug injection, one case of blood/blood product infusion and three cases of perinatal transmission. The routes of transmission of 108 cases had yet to be determined due to inadequate information.

In the fourth quarter of 2009, a total of 71 people were tested positive for HIV, taking the cumulative total of reported HIV infection to 4,443 since 1984.

Of the 71 HIV cases, 19 acquired the infection via heterosexual contact, 29 via homosexual or bisexual contact and three through drug injection. The routes of transmission of the remaining 20 cases were undetermined due to inadequate information.

The 71 cases comprised 57 males and 14 females.

Twenty new cases of AIDS were reported in the fourth quarter of 2009, bringing to 1,106 the total number of confirmed AIDS cases reported since 1985. Fifty per cent of the new AIDS cases were related to heterosexual contact while 45% were attributed to homosexual or bisexual contact.

In this quarter, the most common AIDS defining illness was Pneumocystis Pneumonia (PCP), a kind of chest infection, and Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (TB).

The newly diagnosed cases in the fourth quarter of 2009 were reported by four major sources: public hospitals and clinics (30 cases), private hospitals and clinics (15 cases), AIDS Unit of DH (eight cases) and AIDS service organisations (nine cases).

Of the newly reported cases in the fourth quarter of 2009, 47(66.2%) had received HIV specialist services at the DH or the Hospital Authority.

The DH monitors the HIV/AIDS situation through a voluntary reporting system. The first cases of HIV and AIDS were reported in 1984 and 1985 respectively.

Dr Wong said, "Members of the public with a history of unsafe sex should take an HIV test. They could call the department's AIDS Hotline at 2780 2211 for a free, anonymous and confidential HIV test."

"They should use a condom for safer sex to reduce the risk of contracting HIV."

"HIV is the cause of AIDS and, without treatment, about half of the HIV-infected people will progress to AIDS within 10 years."

Information and data on HIV/AIDS, which are released on a quarterly basis, are available at the department's AIDS webpage, www.aids.gov.hk.