SINGAPORE: About 70 to 80 per cent of HIV patients in Singapore are diagnosed only when they reach the late stage of infection, and only about 20 per cent of patients at Tan Tock Seng Hospital opt for an HIV screening.
The Communicable Disease Centre said this is a sign that more public education for AIDS is needed.
Releasing the
statistics ahead of World AIDS Day on Thursday, the centre said more
targeted educational programmes are needed for specific groups of
people, at different ages and educational levels.
It said 35 per cent of HIV patients are aged 50 years and older.
Many were diagnosed late.
Stigma surrounding the disease is one reason given for the low number of people who come forward for checks.
Recent
figures by the Health Ministry also showed that more homosexuals had
their HIV infection detected via voluntary screening compared to
heterosexuals.
The United Nations recently set a zero AIDS transmission goal by 2020.
But the CDC here said that target will be a stretch.
Associate
Professor Leo Yee Sin, head and senior consultant (infectious diseases)
at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, said: "It's a stretch goal, but it is
certainly something for us to look forward to. The minimum that we need
to do is to see no more transmission from mother to child. Certainly we
hope with early detection and early treatment we can also reduce the
risk of HIV transmissions."
- CNA/cc