Richard Bruton
Ceist:228 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health the number of persons for whom tests have shown that they have been infected with the HIV virus; and the number within each health board region who have been tested positive.
Written Answers. - HIV Statistics.
A total of 1,138 persons have tested positive for HIV under the Department of Health's voluntary HIV testing programme. The Virus Reference Laboratory, UCD, compiles the statistics on behalf of the Department. In view of the increasing numbers of persons with HIV, the Department, in conjunction with the Virus Reference Laboratory, are currently developing a system designed to provide such information on a regional basis. I would point out, however, that in devising the system as a basis for the planning and implementation of services regionally and locally, it is necessary to ensure that it provides accurate information in relation to the prevalence and incidence of HIV in each regional health board area. This is a complex task due to the confidential and sensitive nature of the data involved. In general, however the current HIV surveillance system indicate that the majority of cases are reported from Dublin and Cork.
Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:229 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if any studies have been carried out to determine the contributory causes of death in the cases of 1,200 suicides which occurred here in the four years 1987-91; if medical history can indicate whether anxiety caused by health, financial or other worries have been contributory causes; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
The number of recorded deaths by suicide which took place in the four years 1987-90 and in the first six months of 1991 is as follows:
|
Year |
No. of Suicides |
|
1987 |
245 |
|
1988 |
266 |
|
*1989 |
255 |
|
*1990 |
311 |
|
*1991 |
153 |
|
(first six months) |
|
|
Total |
1,230 |
* Provisional data.
Source: Central Statistics Office.
Research on suicide here has tended to concentrate on suicide rates and on the accuracy of reporting systems but two recent Irish studies;Suicide in Cork and Ireland by Michael J. Kelleher and Maura Daly — British Journal of Psychiatry (1990) 157, 533-538 and Suicide in Schizophrenia by Mary Cannon, Peter Buckley and Conall Larkin — Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine (1991) 8, 19-21, have suggested that the following may be relevant as causitive factors: (1) an increase in “anomie” shown by a rise in the rates of crime, illegitimacy and admissions to hospital for alcoholism; (2) a decline in social cohesion shown by a fall in the marriage rate and a rise in the number of separated couples; (3) high levels of unemployment and (4) psychiatric illness.
It is also generally recognised that worries about health or financial matters can be causitive factors in suicide.