Erfurt (dpa/th) - In Thuringia so far this year 25 people have been newly infected with the AIDS pathogen HIV. According to figures from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in Berlin, there were 42 new diagnoses in the previous year, as the Ministry of Health announced on Wednesday in the run-up to World AIDS Day on December 1st. According to the Barmer health insurance company, Thuringia has the lowest rate of HIV patients in Germany.
About 5 out of 10,000 people in Bavaria are infected with HIV. Thuringia is around 60 percent below the national average of 12.8 per 10,000 people. "Nowadays, an HIV infection can be treated well if it is detected early enough," explained Birgit Dziuk, Barmer's country manager.
One speaks of AIDS when the infection progresses to an advanced stage. Thanks to improved therapies with highly effective drugs, this can now be delayed for a long time or even prevented.
Health Minister Heike Werner (left) referred to the many reservations that still exist about HIV and AIDS. Those affected still experienced discrimination and stigmatization. "Disadvantages and rejection of HIV-positive people or people suffering from AIDS take place in all areas of life." It is all the more important to counter ignorance through education and to show solidarity, said Werner.
According to RKI estimates, more than 90,800 people in Germany were living with an HIV infection at the end of 2021. The number also includes about 8,600 people who have not yet been diagnosed with HIV infection. In 2020 and 2021, 1,800 people nationwide were newly infected with HIV. According to projections by the Robert Koch Institute, around 640 people in Germany died with AIDS in 2021 alone.
