Saudi reports 50 Aids cases this year

Saudi Arabia has detected 50 Aids cases this year and most of them were discovered during pre-marriage tests for local couples, the Saudi Arabic language daily Alwatan reported on Tuesday.

Officials said 23 cases of the acquired immunity deficiency syndrome were in Makkah while 12 cases were in Jeddah and the rest in other provinces.

“The discovery of these cases is an indication of the growing awareness by the society of the need to have tests before marriage,” the paper said, quoting Saudi Health Ministry Assistant Undersecretary Ziad Mameesh.

He said 68 cases of the killer disease were recorded in the Gulf Kingdom in 2009.

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