Liz McManus
Question:178 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a class background breakdown of the numbers of people who are HIV positive and who have full blown AIDS.
Written Answers. - AIDS Statistics.
As I indicated in a reply to the Deputy on 3 June 1993, data in respect of HIV in Ireland is based on the number of tests which have been confirmed as positive by the Virus Reference Laboratory, UCD. Cases of full-blown AIDS are notified directly to my Department.
The current reporting system in respect of the incidence of HIV/AIDS does not capture data on the basis requested by the Deputy and, while the proposed extension of the anonymous surveillance programme to unlinked testing of surplus blood specimens from in-out patients in general hospitals will improve the level of information available about HIV/AIDS, it is not intended to provide information about class background. To seek such information might prejudice the confidentiality of individual cases which could, in turn, put the reporting system at risk.