Excerpt: "In the year 2009, there were 365 new documented HIV infections, a decrease of 14.1% in the actual number of new infections when compared with 2008 data. The total number of AIDS cases however, was reported as 92 for the entire year which represents a 21.1% increase from the previous year. A total of 101 persons died as a result of HIV infection in 2009 which brings the number dying as a result of HIV infection to a total of 963. At the end of 2009, there were an estimated 5,175 persons with either HIV or AIDS.
The prevalence rate however, showed an overall increase in both the Cayo and Toledo districts but the greatest increase seems to be in the Cayo district although no specific reason for this can be documented for now. The male to female ratio was virtually 1:1 so the feminization of the disease being observed in other countries doesn’t seem to be the case in Belize and no specific at
risk population can be documented through routine data we collect at the Epidemiology Unit. However, this ratio is different when specific age groups are compared since the female age group 20-24 is twice the number for males in the same group and this relation is inverted in the age group 45-49 where twice as many males are becoming infected. Even though the age group mostly affected is still between 20-39 yrs, these numbers have been gradually spreading to virtually encompass all age groups.
The number of co-infections with TB has remained virtually unchanged and these are mostly patients that are showing up with TB symptoms that are further screened for HIV. The management of this co-infection is currently being strengthened for more active screening of both entities."
