Abstract:
Background: HIV transmission trends and risk factors have not been specifically reported from the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Objective: To report epidemiological trends of HIV/AIDS in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia over a 10-year period. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included all cases of HIV/AIDS in the registry of Department of Infectious Diseases of the Public Health Authority in the Eastern Province, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia, between January 01, 2014, and December 31, 2023. Results: A total of 1633 new cases of HIV infections were reported in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia between 2014 and 2023. Most patients were males (87.1%), aged 30–44 years (49.8%), and Saudis (60.5%). There was a year-on-year increase in the number of cases each year, except in 2016 and 2020. Overall, there was a >2.5-fold increase in the number of cases between 2014 and 2023; there was a 42% increase in the number of cases between 2021 and 2023 The most common source of HIV transmission was heterosexual contact (70.8%).
Other modes of transmission, such as injection drug use, homosexual contact, and vertical transmission, were low. Conclusion: The steady rise in the number of HIV cases reported in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia indicates the need for developing stronger surveillance, testing, and prevention programs.

Biography:
Dr. Mohamed Suwar Eldahab is a community medicine consultant with over 20 years of experience in public health, specializing in communicable disease control, epidemiology, and preventive medicine. Based in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, he has worked extensively with the Ministry of Health in disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, infection control, and national health programs. He has led regional initiatives in HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, and foodborne outbreaks. Dr. Mohamed is also active in medical education and research, particularly in HIV epidemiology, and has contributed to training healthcare professionals across sectors. He holds an MBBS, a higher diploma in public health, and a fellowship in community medicine.