LATVIAN HIV RATE CONTINUES TO RISE

In September alone, 29 new HIV cases were registered in Latvia, making a total of 302 new cases this year, according to the AIDS Prevention Center. Among the 794 people diagnosed with HIV, 66 have full-blown AIDS (18 diagnosed this year) and 21 have died of the disease (eight this year), BNS and LETA reported. More than 500 cases are thought to be owing to the use of contaminated needles among intravenous drug users. The AIDS Prevention Center in Riga reported that on 5 October, during a needle exchange campaign, an eight-year-old boy was registered as an intravenous drug addict.