HIV/AIDS Epidemic in the Republic of Armenia
In Armenia registration of cases of human immunodeficiency virus infection has started since 1988: In general the HIV/AIDS statistics is as follows:
1988 - registration of the first HIV case; the transmission mode is heterosexual intercourse;
1988 - registration of the first AIDS case;
1989 - registration of the first death from AIDS;
1990 - registration of the first case of HIV infection through injecting drug use;
1996 - registration of the first HIV case among women;
2000 - registration of the first case of HIV transmission through homosexual practice;
2001 - registration of the first cases of HIV infection and AIDS among children;
2001 - registration of the first case of child death from AIDS;
2002 - HIV prevalence among IDUs is in the range of 15%;
2007 - HIV prevalence among IDUs is in the range of 6.8%.
From 1988 to 31 October 2008 649 HIV cases had been registered in the Republic of Armenia among citizens of the Republic of Armenia with 109 new cases of HIV infection registered in 2007 and 111 - in 2008.
Males constitute a major part in the total number of HIV cases - 484 cases (74.6%), females make up 165 cases (25.4%). 649 reported cases include 13 cases of HIV infection among children (2%).
The overwhelming majority of the HIV-infected individuals (70.4%) belong to the age group of 20-39.
In the Republic of Armenia the main modes of HIV transmission are through heterosexual practices (49%) and injecting drug use (44.4%). Additionally, there are also registered cases of mother-to-child HIV transmission, as well as through blood transfusions and homosexual practices.
According to the HIV infection transmission modes, the percentage ratio of HIV carriers in Armenia is as follows:
Transmission through heterosexual practices |
49.0 % |
Transmission through injecting drug usage |
44.4 % |
Mother-to-child transmission |
1.9 % |
Transmission through blood |
1.5 % |
Transmission through homosexual practices |
0.3 % |
Unknown |
2.9 % |
AIDS diagnosis was made to 278 patients with HIV, of whom 55 are women and 6 are children. 59 of the AIDS cases were registered during 2007 and 68 - during 2008. From the beginning of the epidemic 150 death cases have been registered among HIV/AIDS patients (the cases include 22 women and 3 children).
The table below shows the dynamics, according to the years, of HIV infection, registered AIDS cases and death cases.
Years of
registration |
HIV |
AIDS |
Number of registered
death cases |
Total |
Male |
Female |
Total |
Male |
Female |
Total |
Male |
Female |
<1995 |
3 |
3 |
- |
3 |
3 |
- |
2 |
2 |
- |
1996 |
27 |
19 |
8 |
7 |
7 |
- |
3 |
3 |
- |
1997 |
37 |
30 |
7 |
2 |
2 |
- |
1 |
1 |
- |
1998 |
9 |
5 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
- |
1999 |
35 |
26 |
9 |
8 |
6 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
- |
2000 |
29 |
23 |
6 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
4 |
1 |
2001 |
29 |
26 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
- |
4 |
3 |
1 |
2002 |
41 |
33 |
8 |
1 |
1 |
- |
9 |
8 |
1 |
2003 |
29 |
23 |
6 |
13 |
12 |
1 |
6 |
5 |
1 |
2004 |
49 |
36 |
13 |
21 |
17 |
4 |
20 |
17 |
3 |
2005 |
75 |
60 |
15 |
41 |
32 |
9 |
23 |
18 |
5 |
2006 |
66 |
42 |
24 |
46 |
37 |
9 |
22 |
16 |
6 |
2007 |
109 |
75 |
34 |
59 |
46 |
13 |
23 |
22 |
1 |
10.2008 |
111 |
83 |
28 |
68 |
53 |
15 |
28 |
25 |
3 |
Total |
649 |
484 |
165 |
278 |
223 |
55 |
150 |
128 |
22 |
All the individuals infected via injecting drug use were men. As a matter of fact, some of them temporarily inhabited in the Russian Federation ( Moscow, St. Petersburg, Irkoutsk, Rostov, Surgut etc.) and the Ukraine ( Odessa, Kiev, Mareupol etc.) and were probably infected with HIV there. In addition, the majority of all the HIV-infected males (60.1%) are individuals who practice injecting drug usage, whereas the majority of women were infected through sexual contacts (98.7%).
The maximum number of HIV cases was reported in Yerevan, the capital: 297 cases, which constitute 45.8% of all the registered cases. Shirak Marz follows next - 65 cases, which constitute 10% of all the registered cases.
HIV/AIDS situation assessment has shown that the estimated number of people living with HIV in the country is about 2800.
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