About 130 HIV positive patients have been detected countrywide during the last six months, according to the latest statistics of the Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Ministry.
Several senior school students are among them, Health Ministry AIDS Control Unit Head Dr. Sisira Liyanage confirmed.
“Among the total number of HIV positive patients, 70 are males. A majority of patients have been detected from the Western Province which is 60 percent,” said Dr. S. M. A. Priyadharshana, a DMO of the Kurunegala District.
He was speaking at an awareness programme on the ‘Prevention of AIDS and preventive measures to be taken,’ at Bingiriya Youth Training Centre, Kurunegala recently. It was held for the members of youth clubs in the Kurunegala District.
Dr. Anupama joining the discussion added that about 200 well-planned education programmes will be held at leading government schools in Kurunegala and Puttalam Districts of the North Western Province during the next two months.
This will be in collaboration with school heads, parents and past pupils of the schools.
It was found that senior school students who go abroad during school vacations to see their relatives come back to Sri Lanka with HIV which has become a major issue. Awareness on prevention is needed, Dr. Anupama added.