DUSHANBE, July 27, Asia-Plus  -- The official data says that HIV sufferers have increased from zero to 1,595, including 1,285 men and 310 women, in the country over the past 18 years, Health Minister Nusratullo Salimov said n an interview with Asia-Plus.

According to him, 170 HIV sufferers have died in Tajikistan since 1991, when the first cases of HIV-infection were registered in the country.

“Injecting drug users (IDUs) constitute 56 percent (876 people) of Tajiks living with HIV, 423 people, or 26.5 percent, have contracted the infection through sex and the cause of the disease is unknown in 267 cases (16.7 percent),” the minister said.

According to him, mother-to-child-transmission of HIV accounts for 0.8 percent (13 cases) and labor migrants account for 11.3 percent (180 cases).