KULOB, November 10, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- 15 new cases of HIV infection detected in Khatlon’s Kulob region over the past three months have brought the total number of officially registered HIV sufferers in the region to 170, Asia-Plus has learned from Tohir Tumonov, director of Kulob AIDS Center # 2.

According to him, the city of Kulob accounts for 74.1 percent of the total number of officially registered HIV sufferers in the region.  

HIV cases have also been registered in eight of ten districts of the Kulob region: Kulob (district) – 12, Vose – 8, Hamadoni – 5, Farkhor and Muminobod – 3 each, Danghara – 2, Shuroobod and Temourmalik – 1 each.  

“Injecting drug users (IDUs) constitute 64.1 percent of people living with HIV in the Kulob region,” said Tumonov, “Three persons have contracted the HIV infection through a blood transfusion and there is one case of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV.” 

 Of officially registered HIV sufferers, 139 are men, including 95 under 39 years of age, 58 under 20 years of age and two under 14 years of age.   

The first eight cases of HIV infection were detected in the Kulob region in 2003.  Over the past five years, nine HIV sufferers have died in the region.