Infection of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) causes AIDS. Due to modernization in medicine, this disease is no longer incurable, yet it remains one of the leading causes of death globally. Cases of HIV infection in many countries are raising serious concerns for experts. According to recent reports, a large number of people have been found to be victims of HIV in Fiji in the last few months.
Fiji's Health Ministry released shocking figures and said that 552 new cases of HIV have been registered in the country in the first six months of this year. Apart from this, 13 infected people have also died. According to the data, the new cases reported in six months are 33% more than the total cases registered in the last year 2023. 73 percent of the infected are below 39 years of age. Apart from this, nine percent of the cases are in the age group of 15 to 19 years.
More than 800 cases were reported in Tripura
In July this year, HIV infection in India also raised the concerns of health experts. A large number of students were found infected in Tripura schools. In the first weeks of July, a senior official of the Tripura State AIDS Control Society (TSACS) said that 47 students have died of HIV in the state and 828 students have been found HIV positive. Many students have also moved out of Tripura for higher education in prestigious institutions across the country.
The Tripura AIDS Control Society has identified students from 220 schools, 24 colleges and some universities who consume drugs through injection. This was considered to be the main reason for the increasing cases of infection.
How does this infection spread?'
HIV infection can occur due to many reasons, including unsafe sex, use of contaminated needles or syringes or infection from one person to another through the blood of an infected person. Due to HIV, the immune system of the body becomes so weak that the risk of other infectious diseases also increases significantly. HIV infection that persists for a few months or years can lead to AIDS.
Preventive measures are important
There is no specific cure for HIV/AIDS, but some medicines can control the infection. Antiviral treatments for HIV have reduced AIDS-related deaths worldwide. Some effective medicines are still under trial.
Health experts say that everyone needs to be alert about the risks of infection and keep making continuous efforts to prevent it. To prevent infection, it is important that you practice safe sex, make sure that you use clean and new syringes every time for injection.
(PC: Freepik)
