The Ministry of Health announced yesterday only 1,195 cases of HIV and AIDS were detected during 2011.

Dr. Raafat Al-Hakim, director general of the communicable diseases control department at the Ministry of Health, said yesterday that among the detected cases, there were 459 Saudi nationals and 736 non-Saudis.

“There was a 4.5 percent increase of patients among Saudis,” he added.
Al-Hakim said the reduction of cases was mainly due to the continuous efforts of the ministry in combatting the disease.

During 2010, there were 1,121 cases of patients with HIV and AIDS, including 439 Saudi nationals and 682 non-Saudis.

Al-Hakim said each year the ministry review its performance in the fight against the disease and tries to make improvements based on past experience.

He said: “The rate of HIV among Saudis is estimated to be two per every 10,000.”
He said other Middle East and neighboring countries reportedly have a rate of one per every 1,000.

Although the data indicates a low infection rate in the Kingdom, the official said the ministry will continue its efforts to take effective measures to combat the disease in cooperation with concerned government and non-governmental agencies in the Kingdom.

He pointed out the Kingdom since 1986 has been taking adequate preventive measures against the disease.

He said: “AIDS infections through blood transfusions have been totally prevented with the use of modern apparatus.

“The ministry is also providing counseling and guidance for those patients to live with the disease and that has proven successful.”

He added his department organizes awareness programs regularly in all health regions to warn people of the hazards of the disease and ways to prevent infection.

Brochures are also distributed to disembarking passengers from the three international airports in the Kingdom to tell them about the dangers of HIV.

Foreign workers are clinically tested for AIDs before they are given resident permits in the Kingdom.

There are specialized centers to treat infected patients in hospitals such as King Saud Hospital in Jeddah, King Saud Hospital in Riyadh, Dammam Medical Complex in Dammam, King Fahd Hospital in Madinah, King Fahd Hospital in Hofuf, Asir Central Hospital and Jazan General Hospital.

Plans are also underway to establish a treatment center in the holy city of Makkah.
Al-Hakim said: “The specialized centers in these hospitals offer consultations and medicines free of charge to these patients.”

He added more health officials dealing with such patients will be trained in this particular field.

Al-Hakim said: “We are yet to implement several more projects under our national program to combat AIDS.”