37 new HIV cases, seven deaths recorded in 5 months in Cumilla

Seven people have died of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)-related complications, and 37 new HIV-positive cases were detected between January and May in Cumilla this year, according to the health officials.
According to the AIDS centre at Cumilla Medical College and Hospital, currently, 546 patients from 15 districts are receiving treatment at the facility, including 385 residents of Cumilla district.
Md Arif Hasan, counsellor and admin of the centre, said three HIV-positive patients from Cumilla died in May alone. With these deaths, the number of AIDS-related fatalities in Cumilla this year has risen to seven, he said.
According to the centre's records, 37 people tested positive for HIV from 672 samples examined up to May this year. Among the newly identified cases are five male sex workers, 18 sexually active men, three individuals infected through marital relationships, two members of the general public, two returnee migrants infected abroad, one client of a female sex worker and six others.
Officials said 278 HIV-positive cases were identified through 6,646 tests conducted at the centre between 2019 and 2026.
The centre currently provides treatment to patients from Cumilla, Noakhali, Chandpur, Feni, Lakshmipur, Brahmanbaria, Khagrachhari, Chattogram, Mymensingh, Satkhira, Narsingdi, Kurigram, Jhenaidah, Habiganj and Bandarban districts.
Since the centre began operations, 46 patients receiving treatment have died, while 13 others have discontinued treatment.
Health experts have stressed the importance of early testing, awareness and uninterrupted treatment to curb the spread of HIV and reduce AIDS-related deaths.