The number of people infected with HIV in Bulgaria is two or three times higher than the number of officially registered cases, Associate Professor Tonka Varleva, Board Member of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS said for the BTA. 

Since the beginning of 2022, 299 HIV-positive cases have been registered in Bulgaria. More than one quarter of them are foreigners, as most of them are Ukrainian nationals. Sexual transmission is reported among 80%-90% of the new cases, says Associate Professor Verleva. All patients receive antiretroviral therapy. 

Scientists are working to create a vaccine against HIV, but the process is hampered by the rapid variability of the virus. Globally, more than 6 million people do not know they are infected with HIV, Tonka Varleva said on the occasion the World AIDS Day marked on December 1.