KABUL (Pajhwok): Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) officials have stressed the need for raising public awareness and fighting HIV/AIDS, saying that 300 positive cases were registered nationwide during the last 10 months of the current year.

A conference on“Public Awareness and Fight Against AIDS” was held on Monday at the MoPH to mark World AIDS Day (December 1), with the participation of ministry officials and representatives of international organizations.

Abdul Rahman Shirin Del, director of the National HIV/AIDS, Communicable Diseases and Hepatitis Control Program, said that from January to October 2025, 82,255 people were tested for HIV, and 300 of them were confirmed positive across the country.

He added that services related to prevention, control and treatment of HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections and hepatitis are currently being provided in eight provinces through Global Fund centers and UNDP-supported facilities.

Qari Abdul Wali Siddiqi, deputy minister for financial and administrative affairs, said low public awareness remains a major factor behind the spread of infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS. He stressed the need to deliver awareness to remote areas to help prevent further spread.

Siddiqi said the HIV infection rate in Afghanistan is lower than in many other countries, and with increased awareness and improved treatment services, the disease can be controlled.

According to MoPH data, 80,946 people were tested for hepatitis B during the same period, of which 5,531 were diagnosed positive.

Meanwhile, Naeemullah Safi, representative of the World Health Organization (WHO), said HIV/AIDS remains a serious global health challenge.

Since the first HIV case was reported in Afghanistan in 1989, over 400 deaths have been recorded. He noted that more than 44 million people worldwide have died of HIV/AIDS since the 1980s.

Safi emphasized greater public awareness to reduce cases and reaffirmed WHO's commitment to supporting Afghanistan in controlling and eliminating HIV.

AIDS is a disease that weakens the immune system by destroying immune cells. While it has no permanent cure, it can be controlled with antiviral medication. The Ministry of Public Health says unemployment, poverty, open borders, migration, low awareness, drug addiction, and sharing needles contribute to rising risks of infection in the country.

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