Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Aug. 13 New research has found that there are presently over 100,000 individuals infected by the AIDS virus in Iran, a ten-fold increase over previous estimates, a member of the National Committee for Combating AIDS said on Saturday. Iran Focus
Tehran, Iran, Aug. 13 New research has found that there are presently over 100,000 individuals infected by the AIDS virus in Iran, a ten-fold increase over previous estimates, a member of the National Committee for Combating AIDS said on Saturday.
Until now the official estimate for those infected stood at 11,221. But in an interview with the semi-official Fars news agency, Minoo Mehraz said, Based on estimates by the World Health Organisation, the Ministry of Health believes the actual number of people infected by the AIDS virus in Iran to stand at roughly 60,000.
The official added that according to more accurate calculations, there are now over 100,000 people carrying the HIV virus in Iran.
Mehraz said that the most common method by which the HIV virus was spread in Iran was through the use of dirty needles by drug addicts, adding that men constituted more than 90 percent of the virus carriers. She warned that there had been a sharp rise in the number of women being infected by the virus and added that state television and radio had failed to inform society, in particular youths, of the dangers of the virus and preventative measures that should be undertaken.
