Press Release
CHP reviews local HIV/AIDS situation in 2014
24 February 2015
A total of 651 additional cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection were reported to the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) in 2014, compared with 559 in 2013.
Reviewing the HIV/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) situation in Hong Kong at a press conference today (February 24), the Consultant (Special Preventive Programme) of the CHP, Dr Wong Ka-hing, said that sexual transmission remained the major mode of HIV transmission.
He stressed the importance of proper use of condoms in reducing 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," Dr Wong remarked.
"Members of the public with a history of unsafe sex should take an HIV antibody test early. They can call the DH's AIDS Hotline (2780 2211) for a free, anonymous and confidential HIV antibody test," Dr Wong said.
Of the 651 newly reported cases, 378 acquired the infection via homosexual or bisexual exposure while 124 acquired the infection via heterosexual contact. There were five cases via drug injection and one through blood or blood product transfusion outside Hong Kong. The routes of transmission of the remaining 143 cases had yet to be determined due to inadequate information.
In the fourth quarter of 2014, 152 new cases of HIV infection were reported, taking the cumulative total of HIV infections reported locally to 6 993 since 1984.
Of the 152 cases, comprising 125 males and 27 females, 82 acquired via homosexual or bisexual contact and 25 through heterosexual contact. The routes of transmission of the remaining 45 cases had yet to be determined due to inadequate information.
The newly diagnosed cases of HIV infection in the same quarter were reported by five major sources: public hospitals and clinics (50 cases) and private hospitals and clinics (24 cases), as well as the Social Hygiene Clinics of the DH, the AIDS Unit of the DH and other AIDS service organisations (23 cases each).
Among the newly reported cases in the fourth quarter of last year, 91 cases (60 per cent) had received HIV specialist services at the DH or the Hospital Authority.
In addition, 21 new cases of AIDS were reported in the same quarter, bringing to 1 545 the total number of confirmed AIDS cases reported since 1985. Among them, 38 per cent were related to heterosexual contact and another 38 per cent were attributed to homosexual or bisexual contact.
The most common AIDS-defining illness in this quarter was Pneumocystis pneumonia, a kind of chest infection.
Members of the public can obtain a wide range of HIV/AIDS-related information from the DH's AIDS website ( www.aids.gov.hk ).
