JEDDAH: The National Program for AIDS Patients (NPAP) in Makkah province yesterday concluded the first part of its awareness campaign.
Dr. Sanaa bint Abbas Flimban, NPAP’s regional coordinator, said the campaign aims to test persons for HIV who may be unaware carriers of the deadly virus. She said 102 men were voluntarily examined at the group’s mobile clinic over five days and two of them were found to be HIV positive.
Flimban said that since the campaign started in May 2008 the clinic has managed to examine 1,187 Saudi and foreign men and women from its mobile clinic in Jeddah.
Official health figures estimate that about 48 percent of HIV positive people in the Kingdom are Saudi while the rest are foreigners.
Statistics on HIV/AIDS cases in the Kingdom vary with about 10,000 identified HIV carriers being the most common figure cited. This figure reflects identified cases and not people who have the virus but do not know it. The virus’ long incubation period means carriers can go on for years before showing any AIDS symptoms.
