55 HIV-infected people die

More than 635 people infected with the HIV virus have been registered in Azerbaijan to date.

The Azerbaijan National Center for AIDS Prevention told AssA-Irada that

612 infected people are the citizens of Azerbaijan and 23 - expatriates.

289 locals, including 4 women have been infected with the HIV virus through the injection of drugs, 149 through heterosexual and 3 through homosexual contacts. Seven babies have been infected in the womb and one person through a blood donation.

It was impossible to ascertain the source of infection of 164 people. Seven families have been fully infected with the HIV virus. Moreover, parents in 33 families, only men in 96 families and only women in 6 families have been infected with the HIV virus.

According to estimates by international experts, the number of HIV-infected people in Azerbaijan may be 10-15 times as much as the registered ones.

Thus far, 55 people have died and 51 have fully-blown AIDS.

Ten locals infected with the HIV virus died from 1995 to 1999, while 45 people died over the past five years.*