KHOROG, October 26, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Over the first nine months of this year, 33 new HIV infection cases have been registered in Gorno Badakhshan, bringing the total number of the officially registered HIV sufferers in the region to 165, Saodatqadam Okulbekov, the GBAO AIDS Center told reporters in Khorog on October 25 .

“Of the overall number of officially registered HIV sufferers in Gorno Badakhshan, 156 are men and 9 are women,” said Okulbekov, The overwhelming majority of them is people aged 35 to 50.” 

 According to him, 139 people have contracted the virus through injection drug use, 24 others have contracted the HIV infection sexually, and the cause of infection of two other HIV sufferers is unknown.