HIV cases hit record high in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has experienced a significant surge in HIV/AIDS cases in 2024 recording over 800 cases.

 

According to the National STD/AIDS Control Programme, Sri Lanka has logged 824 cases reflecting a 18 per cent increase compared to the year 2023, which saw 694 cases.

 

Out of the cases reported in 2024, 99 males and 13 females fall within the age range of 15-24, while the remaining cases are individuals above 25 years old.

 

The male-to-female ratio of reported HIV cases in 2024 stands at 7.3:1. The fourth quarter (October-December) marked the highest number of cases (217) reported in a single quarter since 2009.

 

Furthermore, 2024 has reported 47 deaths related to HIV/AIDS while Sri Lanka has conducted over 1 million HIV tests in 2024.

 

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has officially reported 18 HIV cases among the transgender community, while a total of 4,909 males and 1,521 females have contracted HIV thus far since 2009.

 

Commenting on the situation, a medical official at the National STD/AIDS Control Programme told that they had noticed a notable uptick in HIV cases in 2023.

 

When asked about the reason for the rise in cases, the official noted that the increase in cases can be attributed to the expansion of the testing capacity, the poor knowledge among people on sex education and risky sexual behaviour and not taking pertinent precautions.