Since January, 378 people here have been diagnosed with HIV/Aids so far this year, bringing the total number since 1985 to more than 6,000.

A Ministry of Health statement released on Friday, said it expects the full year figures to reflect the 469 cases diagnosed last year.

Almost half the cases were discovered in the course of providing meical care for other problems. Two in five of the newly diagnosed cases are already in the late stage of the disease.

About 10 per cent were bisexuals, with the rest split about evenly between homosexuals and heterosexuals. Overwhelming majority of those infected are men. The latest figures comes ahead of World Aids Day which falls on Sunday.