New HIV Cases at 12-Year Low
A total of 315 people were diagnosed with HIV in Estonia between January 1 and December 28 of last year, giving 2012 the lowest number of new cases since 2000.
According to a statement by the Health Board last week, 8,377 residents have been diagnosed with HIV over the years, including 390 people who have been diagnosed with AIDS.
As in previous years, infections were mainly concentrated in the Estonian capital and Ida-Viru County, which came in with 148 and 131 cases, respectively. Another 16 infections were diagnosed in Tartu County, 12 in Harju County (excluding Tallinn) and three in Lääne-Viru County.
The number of new HIV cases in Estonia has dropped six years running. Nevertheless, an estimated 11,000 to 12,000 people in the country are infected, one of the highest rates relative to national population in the European Union.