HAPPY WORLD AIDS DAY

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From: Srikanth Murukutla
Sent: Wednesday, December 01, 2010 12:25 AM
Subject: HAPPY WORLD AIDS DAY

 

 

WHY TO SAY HAPPY AIDS DAY ?

 

 

India: Steady decrease in HIV/AIDS prevalence recorded

The National AIDS Control Organisation of India has confirmed a steady fall in the prevalence of HIV/AIDS among adults since 2004. The epidemic is said to have stabilised in four high-prevalence states but is rising in other moderate to low prevalence areas, NACO said.

In good news for the fight against HIV/AIDS, government studies show that the prevalence of the pandemic amongst the adult population across the country has seen a steady decrease over a four-year period beginning 2004.

According to statistics released by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), in 2004 the number of people afflicted by HIV/AIDS, were 0.41 per cent of the total population. In 2005 it was 0.39 per cent, in 2006 i0.36, in 2007 0.34 and in 2008 it was 0.29.

Of the total 2.61 million people afflicted with HIV/AIDS in 2004, 1.02 million were women, while in 2008 of the total 2.27 million, 0.90 were women.

The data shows that the epidemic has been stabilised in the four high prevalence states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, said K. Chandramoui, Director General of NACO.

However, there are trends indicating the rising HIV epidemic in other moderate to low prevalence states.

Except Andhra Pradesh with HIV prevalence of one per cent, all other states have shown less than one per cent median HIV prevalence.

Trends among Injectable Drug Users are on a decline in Manipur, Nagaland and Chennai, while they are rising in Meghalaya, Mizoram, West Bengal, Mumbai, Kerala and Delhi.

Among IDUs, Maharashtra, Manipur, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Delhi, Chandigarh, Kerala, West Bengal, Mizoram and Orissa have shown high HIV prevalence of more than five per cent.

Expanded surveillance has revealed more than five per cent HIV prevalence in states such as Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat, Goa, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

Among female sex workers, there is a decline in southern states, reflecting the impact of interventions, while rising trends are evident in the northeast, which suggests the dual nature of the epidemic.

An overall decline in HIV prevalence among ANC clinic attendees is noted at all India levels and in high prevalence states in south and northeast.

Except Andhra Pradesh with HIV prevalence of one per cent, all other states have shown less than one per cent median HIV prevalence among ANC attendees. A rising trend is seen among ANC clinic attendees in some low and moderate prevalence states.

Unprotected sex (87.1 per cent heterosexual and 1.5 per cent homosexual) is the major route of HIV transmission, followed by transmission from parent to child which is 5.4 per cent and use of infected blood and blood products which is 1.1 per cent.

While injecting drug use is the predominant route of transmission in north-eastern states, it accounts for 1.7 per cent of HIV infections nationally.

 

 

India registers 50% decline HIV/AIDS cases in a decade

 

A UNAIDS report hails India for a 50% reduction in fresh cases of HIV/AIDS over the decade. The report also applauds Indian pharmaceutical companies for supplying first line drugs to countries in Africa at affordable prices.

THE UNAIDS report states that the number of persons living with AIDS is reduced by 50% since the last decade in India/ Photo credit: Akhilesh Kumar

Geneva: India has made remarkable progress in combating HIV/AIDS over the last ten years by reducing the overall exposure to this killer disease by 50%, says a global report issued by a U.N. agency on the epidemic.

Besides, the Indian drug companies played a vital role in supplying the first-line drugs for HIV/AIDS patients in poorest African countries at phenomenally cheap prices, the UNAIDS said in its report.

“India reduced HIV/AIDS by 50% while its pharmaceutical companies played a major role in care and treatment by supplying 86 % of the first line drugs to the poorest countries,” said Michel Sidibe, UNAIDS’ executive director.

Around 2.4 million estimated people are living with HIV last year In India as against 2.5 million in 2001.

The UNAIDS’ latest report suggested that around 33.3 million people were estimated to be living with HIV.

“We are breaking the trajectory of the AIDS epidemic with bold actions and smart choices,” said Sidibe, cautioning that the disease will stage a comeback if adequate funding is not made possible by both international donors and domestic spending by the developing countries.

Over the last eight years, the rate of new HIV infections stabilised or decreased by more than 25 % in at least 56 countries around the world, especially in the poorest African countries.

Sub-Saharan Africa continues to be the region most affected by the epidemic with 69% of all new HIV infections.

While there have been significant improvements in treatment which increased by seven and half times over the last five years with 5.2 million people accessing live-saving drugs in 2009, around 10 million people are still with without treatment. In India, over 600,000 HIV patients are without treatment.

He praised the Vatican for giving the green signal for the use of condoms which was treated as a religious taboo until recently. “The Pope’s latest announcement on condoms will have significant impact on HIV-prevention,” he argued.

The Eastern Europe and Central Asia, including Russia, have become the epicentres for the spread of HIV/AIDS in the recent years.

In Asia, including India, the spread of HIV/AIDS is concentrated in some mega cities because of large scale migration of poor people in search of employment and their exposure to sex workers.

Besides, man-to-man sex (MSM) and increased use of syringes by drug addicts in North-East have also witnessed sharp increase over the last ten years in India.

Global funding for AIDS dipped last two years because of the economic crisis in the Western countries.

Rich countries in Europe have dropped their funding for AIDS by over USD 600 million, leaving small countries to fetch funds from their domestic sources.

In India, the total expenditure for HIV/AIDS from both international and domestic is to the tune of USD 1.4 billion last year as against USD 1.5 billion in 2008.

The government which relies on Global Fund and other international donors must cater more resources from its domestic budgetary sources, said the UNAIDS chief.

 

Source: HINDU