Latvia had 8,221 residents infected with HIV in 2020

2022-02-22
LETA/TBT Staff

RIGA - Latvia is among the European Union (EU) countries where the prevalence of HIV infection is still high and the data show that in 2020 the total number of registered HIV-infected persons in Latvia was 8,221, according to the informative report prepared by the Ministry of Health called "HIV infections, sexual transmission Infections, Implementation of the Action Plan for Control of the Spread of Hepatitis B and C 2018-2020 ".

In 2020, the number of newly discovered HIV cases decreased - 257 new HIV infection cases were detected. In turn, in 2019 - 295 cases such cases were registered, in 2018 - 326 cases, and in 2017 - 371 cases of HIV infection.

The number of HIV cases per 100,000 population in 2020 was 13.5. At the same time, in 2020, 93 deaths were registered in the HIV stage, in 2019 - 74 deaths, in 2018 - 88 deaths, and in 2017 - 78 deaths.

Also in 2020, 52 new cases of AIDS were detected, which is almost twice less than in 2019.

The number of newly detected HIV cases in 2020 by type of transmission shows that most of the infection has taken place through heterosexual sexual contact. Similar trends were observed in 2019. Also in 2020, a large part of the newly detected HIV cases have not been identified how they got infected, which corresponds to 35 percent of all newly detected infections.

Regarding the number of newly detected HIV cases in 2020 by gender, it can be concluded that in most cases HIV infection is more common in men than in women. Similar trends are observed among people with AIDS.

Statistics for other years also show that the prevalence of HIV and AIDS is higher among men. New cases of HIV infection in 2019 - 180 men and 115 women, in 2018 - 221 men and 105 women, and in 2017 - 241 men and 130 women.

In 2020, out of 257 newly detected HIV cases, 83 persons were in the age group of 30-39 years and 73 persons were in the age group of 40-49 years. Of the 52 newly diagnosed AIDS cases in 2020, 19 were in the 30-39 age group and 20 were in the 40-49 age group. Thus, it can be concluded that newly discovered cases of HIV and AIDS are more common in persons aged 30 to 49 years.