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Latvia at present has more than 18 HIV cases per 100,000 residents, while in other European countries it is about five cases per 100,000 people. There are more than 2,000 deaths from HIV/AIDS reported in Latvia.

The third Sunday of May is a day, remembering HIV/AIDS victims. This day has been marked in the world since 1983, while in Latvia AGIHAS has been reminding about it since 2003.

Speaking in the context of the current Covid-19 pandemic, Veikeieks said that HIV pandemic was declared by the World Health Organization in 2006. Every new infection, like HIV more than 30 years ago, and Covid-19 today causes fear and puts on the stamp of stigmatization on the disease and patients. Stigmatization further serves as discrimination in the society, which lays obstacles to successful curbing of the disease.

As reported, according to the Center for Disease Prevention and Control data, in 2018, the total number of registered HIV cases in Latvia reached 7,669,  with 326 new cases registered in 2018.