Sofia, December 1 (BTA) - This year the international community
is marking World AIDS Day, December 1, under the motto "Global
Solidarity, Resilient Services", the Health Ministry said in a
press release Tuesday. According to data of the World Health
Organisation, in 2019 an estimated number of 38 million people
were living with HIV, of whom 1.9 million were newly infected,
690,000 people died of HIV-related causes, and 68 per cent of
adults living with HIV received lifelong antiretroviral therapy
(ART). In Bulgaria, their share stands at 98 per cent.
   
From 1986 to November 25, 2020, Bulgaria registered 3,467 HIV
cases, 183 of which this year. According to preliminary data,
over 207,035 people were tested for HIV in the first nine months
 of 2020, of whom 3,000 at the Office for Anonymous and Free
Consulting and Testing for HIV/AIDS.

The last years have seen a lasting trend in Bulgaria of newly
infected men numbering seven-fold more than newly infected
women, with the ratio continuing to increase in 2020 to reach
5,5:1 (85 per cent men and 15 per cent women).

Another lasting trend concerns the causes of infection: 2020 was
 yet another year when the majority of newly registered
HIV-positive people (85 per cent) got infected during sex (46
per cent during homosexual acts and nearly 43 per cent during
heterosexual acts). Close to 9 per cent of the newly registered
cases were caused by injection drug use.
  
This was yet another year when the biggest share of new cases
were registered in the 30-39 age group (33 per cent), followed
by the 20-29 group (28 per cent) and the 40-49 group (25 per
cent). Nearly 60 per cent of the newly registered cases were in
the 30-50 age group.

The majority of the new HIV cases were established in big
cities: Sofia-city (74 persons), Varna Region (25), Plovdiv
(17), and Rousse (7). The other settlements generated less than
3 per cent of the cases. Five per cent of this year's cases were
 foreign nationals from nine different countries in various
regions of the world.
   
The Health Ministry provides free ART to all persons in need
regardless of their health insurance status. As at October 31,
2020, there were 1,809 HIV-positive persons under observation at
 the five units for the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients, and
1,769 (98 per cent) of them were receiving ART.

HIV prevention activities among vulnerable groups are carried
out by NGOs with which the Health Ministry has concluded
contracts following a competition. In the first half of 2020,
the NGOs' teams reached 2,053 persons from such groups,
including 252 injection drug users, 1,474 men with homosexual
contacts, and 327 persons offering sexual services. A total of
3,290 HIV tests were performed.
   
Bulgaria's rate of new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 population was
3.7 last year, compared to an EU-average of 5.4, the Health
Ministry reported.
   
NV/DS