The number of HIV cases detected in Sri Lanka is 996 while mother to child contacts remain at 31. Specialist medical officer of HIV/sex related diseases prevention programme, Mrs. Sriya Kanthi Benaragama said that among the patients 410 were females and 563 males.

Regular awareness programmes were conducted islandwide in 2007 and 348,895 blood samples were examined during the year, she further said.

Since the first detection of an HIV patient in the country in 1987, by June 30, 2008 the number detected was 996 of whom 177 had died.