Iraq Reports HIV Surge: Overseas Travel & Tattoos Identified as Key Factors

Iraqi health authorities have reported a rise in HIV infections, with officials blaming new cases on overseas travel and exposure at unlicensed tattoo and cosmetic centres. According to the health ministry, recent infections have been identified among Iraqis returning from tourist or medical trips abroad, students studying overseas, and individuals who received services at facilities operating outside official regulation. Health officials also confirmed that some of the newly registered cases involved children aged under-12, a development that has intensified calls from doctors and public health specialists for stronger oversight and increased investment in the health system. HIV can be life-threatening if left untreated, as the virus progressively weakens the immune system and often remains asymptomatic for many years, with clinical signs sometimes appearing only a decade or more after infection. In response, the health ministry has reiterated existing prevention guidance, including the use of sterile injection equipment, reliance on licensed blood transfusion services, and adherence to safe practices, particularly safe sexual behaviour. In recent weeks, eight new cases were recorded in the northern province of Duhok and the southern province of Dhi Qar, bringing the number of newly documented active cases to around 200, while the most recent infection was registered in Baghdad on Sunday. Although there are no definitive figures for the total number of people currently living with HIV in Iraq, health ministry sources told The New Arab that recent months have seen a modest but noticeable increase, largely linked to travel abroad, overseas study, or contact with unregulated tattoo and cosmetic services. The sources stressed that Iraq remains classified as a low-prevalence country by international standards, but said continued vigilance was needed to prevent further spread, particularly in relation to unsafe sexual contact and the use of unsterilised equipment in medical and cosmetic procedures. In 2024, Majid Shenkali, the former head of the Iraqi parliament's health committee, said that 2,638 cumulative HIV cases had been recorded in Iraq since monitoring began, including 470 deaths, adding that a small number of infections had been identified among newborns through transmission from infected mothers or contaminated blood transfusions. Around the same period, semi-official sources reported an additional 192 cases among foreign nationals who had entered Iraq. A recent statement by the health ministry reiterated that Iraq continues to fall within the low-prevalence category, noting that cumulative infections have exceeded 2,000, including cases among children, and warning that practices such as cupping therapy and tattooing can pose a transmission risk if not carried out under strict health and safety standards. Dhulfiqar Ahmed, a member of the Iraqi Doctors' Syndicate, said preventing the spread of HIV depends on sustained public education and legal reform. "Even gradual increases in cases should not be underestimated," he told The New Arab, calling for targeted awareness campaigns, closer cooperation with universities and schools, and dedicated legislation from parliament to address the disease, particularly among young people who travel abroad and are at higher risk of unsafe exposure.