Kerala has seen an increase in the number of HIV positive cases, a minister said Tuesday.

 

 Health Minister V.S.Sivakumar informed the Kerala assembly that in the past decade, the last fiscal saw the highest increase of fresh HIV positive cases in the state. 

 

 "If one looks into the figures of new HIV cases starting from the fiscal 2004-05, 440 cases was registered then and the last fiscal saw 1,766 cases. During the 2011-12 fiscal, 1,680 new cases was there. This fiscal till the end of December last year 1,177 new cases was registered," said the minister. 

 

 He also said at present there are 17,593 HIV positive patients in the state and those who are undergoing the treatment stands at 8,525. 

 

 Palakkad district leads with 1,381 patients and the capital district accounts for 898 patients who are under treatment.