Tony Gregory
Question:93 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Health the number of cases of AIDS and those who have tested positive for HIV in each of the health board areas. [5262/97]
Written Answers - AIDS and HIV Infection.
Limerick East): National figures for cases of AIDS and HIV are as follows:
Revised List of AIDS cases up to 31 December 1996 Cases — 577
|
Homosexuals/Bisexuals |
199 |
|
IV Drug Users |
246 |
|
Homo/Bisexual/IVDU |
9 |
|
Haemophiliacs |
31 |
|
Heterosexuals |
69 |
|
Children Born to IV Drug Users |
11 |
|
Other Children |
6 |
|
Undetermined |
6 |
|
577 |
Of these 577 cases 304 people have died.
HIV Antibody Results in the Virus Reference Laboratory for December 1996. Cumulative Total Samples Tested in the Virus Reference Laboratory for HIV Antibodies (1986 to Date)
|
Category |
Total Tests |
Positive Individuals |
|
Intravenous Drug Users |
||
|
Male |
7,406 |
594 |
|
Female |
3,134 |
189 |
|
Unknown |
120 |
14 |
|
Children at risk |
1,809 |
119 |
|
Homosexuals |
5,248 |
384 |
|
Haemophiliacs |
1,125 |
114 |
|
Haemophiliac Contacts |
74 |
2 |
|
Hospital Staff/Occupational Hazard/Needlestick |
4,423 |
1 |
|
*Transfusion |
458 |
2 |
|
*Blood Donors(specimens referred by BTSB) |
3,014 |
25 |
|
*Organ Donors |
5,230 |
0 |
|
*Visa Requests |
12,340 |
2 |
|
*Insurance |
33,880 |
1 |
|
*Prisoners |
831 |
18 |
|
Hetero/Risk Unspecified |
40,542 |
266 |
|
Total |
119,634 |
1,731 |
This does not include specimens tested in the unlinked anonymous surveillance programme.
Note: The above figures which are produced by the Virus Reference Laboratory relate to categories of persons as identified either by patients themselves or by their clinicians.
*Categorised by site reason rather than risk.
Public information on HIV and AIDS figures is provided on a national basis. Regional AIDS co-ordinators in each of the health boards provide details of AIDS cases and deaths in their respective health boards to my Department and these are then compiled on a national basis and published every quarter. HIV figures are provided by the Virus Reference Laboratory, which reports to my Department on a regular basis, and these are also published every quarter by my Department.
Based on a recommendation of the surveillance sub-committee of the National AIDS Strategy Committee information is not provided on a regional basis. The number of persons with HIV and AIDS in Ireland is relatively small and if figures were to be provided on a regional basis the confidentiality of the information might be open to question. This could put the reporting system at risk.