Road Town, Tortola - The Ministry of Health and Social Development has moved to calm public concerns over recent statements in the media about an outbreak of HIV among the student population of the Elmore Stoutt High School.

Permanent Secretary Mrs. Petrona Davies said information reported on the airwaves within the Territory of an outbreak of HIV, and other sexually transmitted diseases among students of the High School, is “unsubstantiated”.

The Permanent Secretary noted that the Ministry’s Surveillance Unit is the sole legitimate local agency that is responsible for collecting and analysing data about communicable diseases in the Territory. This, she said, includes coded data related to sexually transmitted infections which is collected from all medical facilities and practitioners in the Virgin Islands.

“Our Surveillance Unit is not currently in possession of data that supports the accuracy of media reports on that matter,” she noted. Mrs. Davies confirmed that official statistics for HIV for the period January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009 show there were nine new cases in the Territory. “All cases were over the age of 25, and did not attend the high school,” she said.

According to the Permanent Secretary two new HIV cases were confirmed in the Virgin Islands for the period January 1, 2010 to May 31, 2010, of which one has died while the other is over the age of 30. Information from the Surveillance Unit indicates that there are currently 26 known cases of HIV in the Territory, and that all of the reported cases relate to the adult population.

The Infectious Disease Notification Act (Cap 180) mandates that all physicians in the Territory must report to the Surveillance Unit within 24 hours all suspected or confirmed cases of communicable diseases in the Territory. The Permanent Secretary reassured the public that the reporting mechanism for communicable diseases in functioning adequately.

“While it is important to reinforce the HIV prevention message among young people given the real dangers associated with irresponsible sexual behaviour, sensationalism is irresponsible and ultimately harmful to public health,” Mrs. Davies noted.

The public is advised that the official source for accurate information regarding the HIV/AIDS situation in the Territory is the National AIDS Programme, in the Ministry of Health and Social Development. The Assistant AIDS Programme Coordinator, Mrs. Noelene Levons-Clarke, may be contacted directly at telephone number 468-9785.