32 new cases of HIV/AIDS detected in the last six months

With the diagnosis of 32 new additional HIV/AIDS cases between January and June,2016, Bhutan now have 492 total reported cases with equal proportion of male and female. Among the 32 newly diagnosed cases, 18 are male and 14 female including 2 minors (a case of mother- to-child transmission).

While, eleven cases are put on life-long ART as their body immunity is below the normal threshold. The cases are reported mostly from the unemployed categories and 80 percent of the reported cases are concentrated in the productive age group (20-49 years). Among the newly diagnosed cases, most of the infections seems to be new as their baseline CD4 count are within the normal range and above the treatment cut-off point, and this clearly signifies the success of HIV prevention programmes including promotion of HIV voluntary counseling & testing(VCT).

Bhutan now have the total reported cases of 492 out of which 51 percent are male and 49 percent female, 250 people have been put on life-long antiretroviral treatment (ART), since the initiation of the treatment programme in the country, The national HIV/AIDS & STIs control programme have recorded 86 deaths including 26 on ART, 19 non-Bhutanese HIV/AIDS cases have left the country and one Bhutanese national is currently living outside the country.

Currently 386 people are living with HIV/AIDS in the country including 34 children. The predominant mode of HIV transmission still remains the ‘heterosexual’.