AIDS death toll reaches 424 in Azerbaijan

The death toll from HIV/AIDS in Azerbaijan has reached 424, a statement by the country's health authorities said Thursday. The statement was made at a press conference in Azerbaijan's capital Thursday by the country's Health Ministry and Republican Center for Combating AIDS to mark World AIDS Day, national media reported. Azerbaijan has 3199 diagnosed cases of HIV/AIDS, of which 3086 people are Azerbaijani citizens, according to the statement. Hagigat Gadirova, director of the center, said that 18.2 percent of the infected are women, while 81.8 percent are men. Azerbaijan has reported 476 new cases of HIV/AIDS infections this year. Some 62.9 percent of the HIV/AIDS infections in Azerbaijan had been caused by drug users through syringe injections, the statement said. Though the recorded per capita incidence of HIV is significantly lower than in Russia or Ukraine, Azerbaijan's healthcare system is struggling to cope with existing and new cases. In theory, HIV-positive people in Azerbaijan have access to antiretroviral drug treatment that can support the immune system and block the development of AIDS. However, most patients live far away from the few centers where treatment is available.