The coordinator for the Maputo nucleus of the National Council for the Struggle against Aids, Samuel Quive, told reporters that 38,303 people attended the Maputo GATVs in 2006.
Of these, 12,709 tested positive for HIV.
"These numbers depict a very worrying scenario", said Quive, although he did not have similar data from previous years to make a comparison.
The alarmingly high figures for known new infections have occurred despite all efforts to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. Quive said that last year a total of 407,383 condoms (male and female) were distributed in Maputo.
97,326 information, education and communication items were distributed among the city's communities, and 505 "peer educators" were trained in HIV/Aids and life skills.
As for mitigating the effects of the disease, 131 HIV positive people were counselled on how to lead "a positive life", and 783 others benefitted from home care.
The Maputo nucleus provided training for 151 orphaned and vulnerable children, and supplied school uniform for 220 others.
Quive pledged that in the coming year "we shall continue with income generating programmes, providing support for women who are heads of household, and direct support for orphans and vulnerable children".
The latest reliable figures on HIV prevalence rates come from the 2004 epidemiological surveillance round. This showed that 20.7 per cent of people in Maputo city aged between 15 and 49 were HIV-positive, considerably higher than the national average of 16.2 per cent.
SOURCE: AIM
