Singapore, May 20 (UNI) Singapore reported 151 new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases in 2024, with 78 of them diagnosed at a late stage of infection, according to the latest data released by the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) on Monday.

About 62 percent of the newly reported cases were detected during the course of medical care, with the majority already in the late stage of HIV infection.

The fact that more than half of the new cases were diagnosed late is a cause for concern, Wong Chen Seong, head of the national programs for HIV, hepatitis C, and sexually transmitted infections under the CDA, told local media.

He said that although both early- and late-stage patients can typically suppress the HIV viral load to undetectable levels after three to six months of treatment, those diagnosed at a late stage often already suffer from serious complications due to weakened immune systems. Treatment for late-stage patients involves not only suppressing the virus to prevent further immune damage, but also managing these concurrent illnesses.

He added that once the immune system has been compromised, it can take longer to recover, with the duration varying depending on the patient's overall health, age, and baseline immune status. During this recovery period, individuals are also more vulnerable to other infections.

As of end-2024, a total of 7,137 Singapore residents were known to be living with HIV.

The annual number of new HIV cases in Singapore has been gradually declining over the years, from 300 to 500 cases annually between 2009 and 2019, to around 200 to 250 cases annually between 2020 and 2023.

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