MANAMA, 18 August 2004 — Four Bahrainis have been diagnosed HIV positive this year, bringing the total number of infected citizens to 26, a state health officer was quoted as saying yesterday.
This year’s cases have not yet developed full blown AIDS, the manager of the National Sexually Transmitted Diseases Program, Somaya Al-Jowder, told the Gulf Daily News.
Bahrain has recorded 109 patients suffering from AIDS since the first case appeared on the island in 1987. Of these, 87 patients have died from the disease or related complications, Al-Jowder told the paper.
Al-Jowder heads a research team that is looking into the behavior, life styles and AIDS awareness of Bahrainis aged 15-24.
Expatriates who are confirmed HIV positive in Bahrain are deported. They were not included in the statistics given by Al-Jowder, the paper said.
