QURGHON TEPPA, December 2, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- 82 new cases of HIV infection have been detected in the Khatlon province since the beginning of this year, bringing the overall number of officially registered HIV sufferers in the area to 352, Muhabbatsho Sharipov, the head of the Khatlon department for social problems, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.

According to him, the major part of persons living with HIV in the province is injecting drug users.  24.8 percent of the HIV sufferers in Khatlon contracted the infection through sexual contacts.

The Khatlon health directorate head Sherali Buzmakov says the public health system is unable to prevent the spread of HIV infection on its own.  “All branches of power, police, education sector, local authorities and others should be involved in the HIV prevention program,” said Buzmakov, “All necessary conditions have been created in the province for laboratory research to detect HIV/AIDS and these resources should be used efficiently.”