Kurdistan Region launches awareness campaign to combat HIV

Shafaq News/ The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has launched an awareness campaign to curb the spread of HIV, a health official said on Sunday.

Dr. Berivan Adnan, the Preventive Health Directorate manager in Erbil, told Shafaq News that while there are cases of HIV in the Kurdistan Region, “most infected individuals are foreign nationals who were repatriated after their diagnoses.”

"There are 61 recorded cases of HIV in the Kurdistan Region," Adnan said, specifying that 34 cases are in Erbil, 21 in Al-Sulaymaniyah, and six in Duhok.

“Necessary medical measures have been taken for those infected, who remain under continuous medical observation,” She added.

According to Adnan, the KRG conducts annual free HIV testing and awareness campaigns through health institutions. These initiatives include early detection centers for private-sector employees and individuals preparing for marriage.