XN000022-1987-08-14 — Page 2

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 1987

TWO MORE DIE FROM AIDS

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THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED THAT ANOTHER TWO PERSONS IN HONG KONG WERE TODAY (FRIDAY) CONFIRMED TO HAVE DIED FROM ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYDROME (AIDS).

THIS BRINGS TO SIX THE NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM AIDS IN THE

TERRITORY.

THE DEPARTMENT ALSO RELEASED THE LATEST STATISTICS ON THE SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMME ON AIDS.

BETWEEN APRIL AND JUNE THIS YEAR, 9,891 PERSONS WERE TESTED FOR THE AIDS INFECTION BY THE VIRUS UNIT OF THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT.

SEVEN OF THESE WERE FOUND TO BE INFECTED, BRINGING TO 90 THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONS FOUND TO BE POSITIVE FOR HIV ANTIBODIES. THE SEVEN ARE THREE REFERRALS FROM GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS AND CLINICS, THREE REFERRALS FROM PRIVATE PRACTITIONERS AND ONE HAEMOPHILIAC.

UNDER THE AIDS SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMME, GROUPS WHO ARE AT RISK OF BEING INFECTED BY THE VIRUS SUCH AS SEXUALLY PROMISCUOUS PERSONS, MULTITRANSFUSED PATIENTS AND INTRAVENOUS DRUG ABUSERS ARE TESTED FOR THE INFECTION.

SINCE APRIL 1985, A TOTAL OF 56,709 PERSONS HAD BEEN TESTED AND SO FAR 90 WERE FOUND POSITIVE.

DURING THE QUARTER ENDING JUNE 1987, THE HONG KONG RED CROSS BLOOD TRANSFUSION SERVICE HAD ALSO CARRIED OUT HIV TESTS FOR 35,385 BLOOD DONORS AND ONE OF THEM WAS FOUND TO BE POSITIVE.

SINCE ITS MASS SCREENING PROGRAMME IN AUGUST 1985, THE NUMBER OF BLOOD DONOR UNITS TESTED BY THE RED CROSS FOR AIDS ANTIBODY TOTALLED 269,330.

UP TO NOW, FIVE BLOOD DONOR UNITS WERE FOUND TO BE INFECTED THE VIRUS.

BY

SINCE THE GOVERNMENT INTENSIFIED ITS EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN ON AIDS ON APRIL 21, THE AIDS COUNSELLING SERVICE HAD RECEIVED 8,719 CALLS.

THE SERVICE WAS FIRST SET UP IN NOVEMBER 1985, AND UP ΤΟ NOW, OVER 14,082 CALLS WERE RECEIVED.

/MEANWHILE, THE