On August 27th, 2024, the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) reported an increase in Hong Kong's cumulative HIV cases, reaching 12,223 by the second quarter of 2024. This marks a steady rise in the number of people living with HIV in the city.
According to the data, 80 new HIV cases were reported in Q2 2024, with 60 males and 20 females. The primary mode of transmission was homosexual or bisexual contact, accounting for 52.5% of the new cases, while 32.5% were attributed to heterosexual transmission. The routes of transmission for the remaining 12 cases were yet to be determined.
The new HIV cases were primarily reported by public healthcare providers, including hospitals, clinics, and laboratories (34 cases), AIDS service organizations (13 cases), and private healthcare providers (12 cases). Notably, 65 of the 80 newly reported individuals had already been receiving specialized HIV services from the DH or the Hospital Authority.
Regarding Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), 16 new cases were reported in the quarter, with 75.0% linked to homosexual or bisexual contact and 25.0% to heterosexual transmission. Fifteen (93.8%) of these new AIDS cases were diagnosed with HIV infection at the time of progression to AIDS, and Pneumocystis pneumonia remained the most common AIDS-defining illness. Since 1985, a cumulative total of 2,523 confirmed AIDS cases have been reported in Hong Kong.
A spokesman for the CHP emphasized the importance of early HIV testing and treatment, noting that over 80% of AIDS patients in the past 10 years had progressed to the disease within three months of their HIV diagnosis. He urged the public, especially those in high-risk groups, to use condoms consistently and undergo regular HIV screening. The spokesman also highlighted the availability of community resources, such as the DH's HIV Testing Service and the newly launched "The Commons" one-stop sexual health service for sexual minorities.
The spokesman stressed that early initiation of antiretroviral treatment can effectively prevent the progression to AIDS and other complications, and that those who achieve sustained viral suppression will not transmit the virus through sex, a concept known as "Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U)."
香港2024年第二季度累計愛滋病毒個案達12,223宗
2024年8月27日 - 衞生署轄下的疾病預防控制中心(CHP)報告,香港2024年第二季度新增80宗愛滋病毒(HIV)感染個案,令累計個案數目增至12,223宗,自1984年以來的累積數字。
新增個案中,60人為男性,20人為女性。主要感染途徑是同性或雙性接觸,佔52.5%,而32.5%為異性傳播。其餘12宗個案的傳播途徑仍待確定。
新增個案主要由公立醫院、診所和實驗室(34宗)、愛滋病服務機構(13宗)及私家醫療機構(12宗)呈報。值得注意的是,在80宗新個案中,有65人已接受衞生署或醫院管理局提供的專門HIV服務。
至於愛滋病(AIDS)個案方面,第二季度新增16宗,其中75.0%與同性或雙性接觸有關,25.0%與異性傳播有關。在這16宗新增AIDS個案中,有15宗(93.8%)在被診斷為AIDS時才首次確診為HIV感染。間肺囊菌肺炎仍是最常見的AIDS標記疾病。自1985年以來,香港累計報告2,523宗確診AIDS個案。
CHP發言人強調及早進行HIV檢測和治療的重要性,指在過去10年中,超過80%的AIDS患者在確診HIV感染後3個月內已進展為AIDS。他呼籲公眾,特別是高危群組,要持續使用安全套並定期接受HIV檢查。發言人亦介紹了社區資源,包括衞生署的HIV檢測服務以及全新推出的"The Commons"一站式性健康服務中心。
發言人強調,及早開始抗逆轉錄治療可有效防止進展至AIDS及其他併發症,而達到持續病毒抑制的人士也不會透過性行為傳播病毒,這就是"不可檢測=不可傳播(U=U)"的概念。
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