More than 15,000 persons are HIV positive, physician

The number of HIV positive persons in Morocco is steadily increasing and probably exceeds 15,000, said head of infectious diseases department at the Casablanca Ibn Rochd university hospital, Pr. Hakima Himmich.

Pr. Himmich told Bayane Al-Yaoum daily that the number of AIDS patients stands, according to the health ministry, at 834. She added that the health ministry encounters several difficulties in garnering accurate figures on AIDS affected people as several physicians do not report AIDS cases they diagnose while a large number of doctors do not have a thorough knowledge of the disease and the laboratories depicting the virus are located only in Rabat and Casablanca.

To remedy the situation, the health department has embarked on a project to set up medical analysis laboratories in all Moroccan cities, Pr. Himmich said.

After she surveyed efforts made to contain the disease, she said the health department contributes 50% of the AIDS treatment costs which stand in some cases at 6,000 DH per month (about $ 521). The French government is also extending Morocco material assistance, she added.

Pr Himmich stated further that health department budget (3% of the state overall budget) is very low compared to the needs. She compared this budget to that of Tunisia where it stands at 13 percent, a percentage, she said, higher than the rate set by the World Health Organization (12 Percent).