Dhaka: Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim on Wednesday said a total of 4,143 people are infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the country.

The minister was replying to a written question of treasury bench member Shamim Osman on behalf of M Israfil Alam in parliament.

According to official statistics, the minister said, 4,143 HIV infected persons were detected up to November 2015, of them, 658 are dead and 3485 alive.

He said the heath ministry has taken various steps through AIDS/STD control programme to prevent the communicable disease.

Nasim said the government is providing medical treatment and diagnostic services at 12 hospitals for HIV affected persons. Four government hospitals are providing free treatment and medicines including counseling to the patients, he said.

Moreover, modern treatment has been providing to the HIV positive patients and drug addicted people at the Infectious Disease Hospital at Mohakhali in the capital Dhaka, he added.