Sri Lanka's medical officials will carry out an awareness campaign in tourist hotels along the coastal belt of the island in a bid to stem the spread of HIV and AIDS, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said that following discussions with officials from the National Sexually Transmitted Diseases/AIDS (NSTD/AIDS) Program, the Health Ministry had decided to set up an additional 10 STD/AIDS control program clinics on the outskirts of Colombo, the south, the east, the north central and north western districts.

Some 33 such clinics are already in place in several districts of Sri Lanka.

Health Ministry Spokesman Nipun Ekanayake told local journalists that compared to other South Asian countries, the number of HIV/AIDS patients were less in Sri Lanka and due to the decreasing numbers, Sri Lanka was well on its way in getting a WHO Certification for AIDS control.

According to official figures, the estimated number of people living with HIV in Sri Lanka as of end 2017 was 3,500. This is a slight reduction from the 2016 estimation figure of 4,000.