AIDS threat increasing with drug injections

By Nadia Fazlulhaq

Around 3500 Sri Lankans are living with HIV and the number is increasing rapidly as a newest trend of injecting drugs is becoming popular among many parties. Health Ministry STD/AIDS Control Programme National Director Dr. Nimal Edirisinghe told The Sunday Times that although there was a popular belief that injecting drugs was uncommon in Sri Lanka, at present it has been a major contributor to enhance the number of AIDS patients.

“There is a popular fashion among youth going to nightclubs and parties to inject drugs, which creates a high risk. As there is a shortage of heroin drug addicts seem to opt for injecting drugs. We also got to know that some prisoners too are getting injected with drugs and in most of these cases the same needle is being used a few times,” he said.

According to Dr. Edirisinghe 8-10 new cases of HIV/AIDS have been reported recently.“Up to now 931 persons have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Although at present 99 percent of these cases are due to having unprotected sex, with injecting drugs becoming popular that too will play a major role in the near future. People should be educated in this regard,” he said.