According to the report prepared by UNAIDS before World AIDS Day on December 1, 9.3 million of the 39.9 million people living with HIV worldwide still cannot access life-saving treatment. In addition, according to the Ministry of Health data, after the first HIV case was seen in our country in 1985, the number of cases increased continuously.
According to 2024 data, there are approximately 40 thousand HIV positive patients in Turkey and 2 thousand 300 AIDS cases. 80 percent of the cases are men, and around 15-16 percent are foreign nationals. Experts said that people infected with HIV caught this virus from Turkey.
“WE ARE GATHERING THE BAD FRUITS OF THIS DISEASE”
Regarding the subject, Çukurova University Faculty of Medicine, Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Prof. Dr. Yeşim Taşova made a statement to İhlas News Agency. Prof. Dr. Taşova explained that the cases that came after the pandemic period applied late and said, “AIDS is a silent epidemic, when we look at it as a pandemic. Its importance fell back during Covid times, but now it is back on the agenda. These patients could not be fully identified during Covid times. We are now reaping the fruits of this disease, with the laboratories working again. These are very bad fruits. “Currently, more HIV-positive patients have started to arrive and they have started to arrive in the late period,” he said.
“WE ARE GETTING THIS VIRUS FROM OUR COUNTRY”
Prof. stated that people infected with HIV in our country are now catching this virus from Turkey. Dr. Taşova later said:
“To date, there have been nearly 40 thousand HIV positive cases across Türkiye. There are around 2,300 AIDS cases. 80 percent of them are men. We get this virus from our own country. Around 15-16 percent are foreign nationals, but they are mainly in our own country. Increasing drug use also triggers this. There are cases from the age of 15 to 40, but the number of cases under the age of 60 is gradually increasing. It is necessary to be careful with adolescents and elderly people. If one goes to the hospital due to any health problem, one should definitely get an HIV test. The number of HIV cases has increased fourfold in our country since 2012. This is just what we know. When we look at the Ministry’s data, we only know 50 percent of our cases. Knowing 50 percent of it means that there are people walking around unaware of their own facts. Because HIV is contagious once infected and untreated. It is transmitted through blood and sexual contact.”
“PREGNANCY SHOULD BE CHECKED”
Pointing out that the HIV virus can be transmitted from mother to baby, Prof. Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology. Dr. Yeşim Taşova said, “Transmission from mother to baby is also possible. If the mother is positive and has not been treated, the baby is infected at the time of birth or breastfeeding. Pregnant women must be checked. There are 50 percent who are unaware of their situation. “We need to find these people and treat them,” he said.
“OUR HEALTH SYSTEM PROVIDES THE TREATMENT”
Emphasizing that HIV testing is very simple and treatment is free, Prof. Dr. Yeşim Taşova said, “A person who has never been treated first gets AIDS and then dies within 8-10 years after acquiring the HIV virus. However, if they receive treatment, these people do not die from HIV. It is very important to find this 50 percent. This virus is detected with a very simple Elisa test. “Our healthcare system covers this very expensive treatment that will last a lifetime,” he said.
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