A total of 415 new HIV positive individuals have been recorded in May 2013 alone. The newly diagnosed HIV cases were confirmed by the STD/AIDS Cooperative Central Laboratory (SACCL) and reported to the HIV/AIDS registry. This is 52 percent higher compared to the same period last year (273 in 2012) and the highest number of cases reported in a month.

Most of the cases were males whose age ranges between 20 to29.
They acquire the infection through sexual contact and needle sharing among injecting drug users. The record also showed that males having sex with other males (MSM) were the predominant type of sexual transmission.
Most of the cases were still asymptomatic or doesn’t show any symptoms at the time of reporting.

The new cases came from the National Capital Region, Region 4A, Region 11, Region 3, and Region 7. The three highest reporting regions were NCR, 4A and 11.

Source: National Epidemiology Center (NEC) of the Department of Health.