517 new HIV/AIDS cases reported in Georgia

A total of 517 new cases of HIV/AIDS were reported in Georgia this year as of October 1, 2018, says the Centre for Infectious Diseases, AIDS and Clinical Immunology.

To compare, 468 new cases of the infection were revealed in the same time period of the last year.

A total of 7,283 HIV/AIDS -infected persons are registered in Georgia, of which 5,445 are men and 1,838 women.

The majority of infected people are from 29 to 39 years old.

AIDS has developed in 3,797 patients, while 1,477 people have died from AIDS, says the centre.

Data published by the centre show that:

• 46 per cent were infected as a result of heterosexual contact
• 40.4 per cent of infected patients are drug addicts
• 11 per cent – male patients – as a result of sexual contact with male partners
• 1.4 per cent – were infected through vertical transmission
• 0.5 per cent – blood recipients
• 0.7 per cent – through unknown routes of transmission

The most cases (2,662) are reported in the capital city of Tbilisi of which 89 were foreign citizens.
Other regions of Georgia where most cases were reported are:

• Samegrelo – 924 cases
• Imereti – 906 cases
• Adjara – 818 cases
• Abkhazia – 461 cases
• Kakheti – 350 cases
• Kvemo Kartli – 378 cases
• Shida Kartli – 272 cases
• Guria – 155 cases
• Poti – 110 cases
• Samtskhe-Javakheti - 102