XN000022-1988-07-27 — Page 6

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ONE MORE AIDS CARRIER

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 1988

ANNOUNCED

THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THAT ONE MORE PERSON WAS FOUND TO BE INFECTED BY THE AIDS (ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME) VIRUS LAST MONTH.

THIS BRINGS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF AIDS CARRIERS IN HONG

KONG TO

123.

IN THE PAST THREE MONTHS PATIENTS WERE REPORTED.

—

APRIL, MAY AND JUNE - NO NEW AIDS

THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CONFIRMED AIDS CASES HAS REMAINED AT 13 WITH TWO SURVIVING PATIENTS.

RELEASING THE LATEST STATISTICS ON IT'S AIDS SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMME, THE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT SO FAR, 95,564 PERSONS HAD BEEN TESTED FOR THE AIDS ANTIBODY.

OF THESE, 123 PERSONS WERE FOUND TO BE POSITIVE. THESE INCLUDED 52 HAEMOPHILIACS, 32 REFERRALS FROM GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS AND CLINICS, 28 REFERRALS FROM PRIVATE PRACTITIONERS AND SUBVENTED HOSPITALS AND 11 ATTENDANCES AT THE SOCIAL HYGIENE CLINICS.

THE SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMME WAS BEGUN BY THE DEPARTMENT IN TO MONITOR THE AIDS SITUATION IN HONG KONG.

1985

UNDER THIS PROGRAMME, HIGH RISK GROUPS SUCH AS INTRAVENOUS DRUG ABUSERS, SEXUALLY PROMISCUOUS PERSONS AND HAEMOPHILIACS WERE. TESTED FOR THE HIV ANTIBODIES.

SINCE 1985, THE HONG KONG RED CROSS BLOOD TRANSFUSION SERVICE HAS ALSO CONDUCTED A MASS SCREENING PROGRAMME ON ALL DONATED BLOOD.

UP TO LAST MONTH, A TOTAL OF 426,460 UNITS OF DONATED BLOOD HAD BEEN TESTED AND ONLY SIX UNITS WERE FOUND TO BE POSITIVE.

LAST MONTH, THE DEPARTMENT'S AIDS COUNSELLING AND HEALTH EDUCATION CENTRE RECEIVED OVER 1,300 CALLS.

THE CENTRE IS SPECIALLY SET UP TO PROVIDE COUNSELLING ΤΟ PEOPLE WHO FEAR THEY MIGHT HAVE CONTRACTED AIDS AND ALSO TO CONDUCT HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMMES, SUCH AS SEMINARS AND TALKS, COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS AND CONCERNED BODIES.

FOR

SINCE THE CENTRE OPENED IN 1985, A TOTAL OF 31,115 BEEN RECEIVED BY THE HEALTH STAFF MANNING IT.

CALLS HAVE

AIDS Virus