Kyrgyzstan reports annual increase in HIV cases
As of November 1, 2025, 15,298 cases of HIV infection have been registered in Kyrgyzstan, according to Umutkan Chokmorova, Director of the Republican Center for the Control of Blood-Borne Viral Hepatitis and HIV, Kabar reported.
Of the total number of cases, 14,394 are Kyrgyz citizens, and 904 are foreign nationals. There have also been 3,767 deaths among people living with HIV. According to Chokmorova, the HIV detection rate in the country is steadily increasing. While 619 new cases were recorded in 2015, more than 900 have been registered annually in recent years.
The highest number of people living with HIV is found in Bishkek and the Chui region, followed by the Osh and Jalal-Abad regions. The specialist emphasized that sexual transmission remains the most common route of HIV transmission, accounting for 62.7%. Parenteral transmission accounts for 30%, vertical transmission (from mother to child) accounts for 2.3%, and unspecified transmission accounts for 5%.
HIV is most often diagnosed among individuals aged 20–39, who account for approximately 60% of all cases. Over the past five years, the proportion of sexual transmission among new cases has increased to 81–91.1%, while injection transmission has decreased from 12.6% to 1.9%.
Specialists emphasize the need for increased public awareness and regular testing to ensure timely detection and prevention of HIV transmission.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Chinese researchers introduced a technology that may transform the approach to HIV treatment. Scientists in China developed a CRISPR Cas12a delivery system capable of removing the virus directly from the DNA of infected cells.
