BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 1. Baku hosted a conference dedicated to World AIDS Day, which is observed on December 1, Trend reports.
The conference was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Health, the AIDS Control Center, TABİB, members of parliament, and representatives of various ministries.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Health Nadir Zeynalov, Yagut Garayeva, Head of the Disease Prevention and Control Department at TABİB, Famil Mammadov, Director of the Republican AIDS Control Center, Gunesh Jafarova, Deputy Director of the AIDS Control Center, and members of the Azerbaijani Parliament’s Health Committee.
In his address, Deputy Minister Nadir Zeynalov highlighted the global scope of the AIDS epidemic, noting that an estimated 40 million individuals worldwide are currently living with HIV, with approximately 35-40 million people succumbing to AIDS-related complications each year.
Famil Mammadov, Director of the AIDS Control Center, presented alarming data at the conference on World AIDS Day. He reported that by the end of November 2025, the number of new HIV cases in Azerbaijan had reached 1,130. Since the first identification of HIV infection in Azerbaijan in 1987, a total of 11,413 Azerbaijani citizens had been officially registered at the Republican AIDS Center by November 2025.
Yagut Garayeva, Head of the Disease Prevention and Control Department at TABİB, emphasized in her speech that one of the most significant challenges in combating AIDS remains the pervasive issue of stigma and discrimination surrounding the disease.
The conference concluded with a robust exchange of views, during which medical professionals and ministry representatives offered their insights, followed by a session where questions were addressed and proposals considered.
