The prevalence is 18 per cent in South India, says UNAIDS report
India houses half of Asia's HIV patients and is way ahead of China in disease burden. It also finds a place in the list of 22 countries prioritised for preventing mother to child transmission infection, according to the latest UNAIDS report, drafted jointly with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
About 48 lakh people were living with HIV in Asia in 2010 and nearly half of them – 49 per cent to be precise – are in India, says the report released on the eve of World AIDS Day. The percentage of pregnant women who tested positive for HIV infection in India also rose from 2 per cent in 2005 t0 23 per cent in 2010.
Seven Asian countries report an estimated 100,000 or more people living with HIV in 2009, collectively accounting for more than 90 per cent of people with HIV in the region. India tops the list followed by China, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam, though the highest prevalence rate, one per cent, was observed only in Thailand. In Asia, the rate of HIV transmission appears to be slowing down. The estimated 360,000 people who were newly infected with HIV in Asia in 2010 were considerably fewer than the 450,000 estimated for 2001.
Traditional risk groups
Notwithstanding regional variations, the HIV epidemic is being stabilised among female sex workers and traditional risk groups in the six high-prevalence States including Karnataka. But epidemics among men who have sex with men are growing across the region including India.
High prevalence
High prevalence — between 8 and 32 per cent — has been found among surveyed men who have sex with men in many Asian cities. The UNAIDS report quotes one study, which shows that the prevalence is 18 per cent in South India. The report also says that 35 per cent of children with HIV infection were receiving anti-retroviral therapy treatment.
Variation exists among commercial sex workers, with a 2009 survey showing HIV prevalence of 4.6 per cent among female sex workers in Mumbai and Thane and 24 per cent among street-based sex workers. The prevalence could be as high as 29 per cent among their brothel-based counterparts in some districts of Maharashtra.
Yielding results
There is also evidence that prevention programmes are working in India. One such programme in Karnataka was associated with a drop in HIV prevalence from 25 per cent to 13 per cent among female sex workers in three selected districts between 2004 and 2009.
A similar programme brought down the prevalence from 1.4 per cent to 0.8 per cent among young antenatal clinic attendees between 2004 and2008 in 18 districts.
And yet another intervention programme in Mumbai and Thane led to a decline from 45 per cent HIV prevalence in 2004 to 13 per cent in 2010 among brothel-based sex workers.
Keywords: India HIV patients, UNAIDS report, HIV, World AIDS Day, HIV in Asia
While Common Man does not understand statistics, he must be able to understand the consequences of HIV and other sexually Transmitted diseases. Our government should make special programmes which will target all without any exception. Our So called Indian attitude of 'It would not affect me.. So I don't bother' must go. Education and awareness must start from School.
The report reveals that we have a long way to go to create a healthy society free from ignorance. The prevalence and spread of aids in India has to do with lack of awareness, ethics and moral conduct in the very outset. The second issue connected with this is the abominable discrimination shown towards the patients, especially the children in the school. Remember the incidents happened in the so called highly literate Kerala of callously demanding terminating the two HIV positive students which ended up in painful segregation of these two souls by parents, some teachers, and even by the local MLA. We need to work concertedly on it.
India needs to stem the spread of AIDS disease rapidly. This should be taken high on high priority because of its debilitating effects and high mortality. Already we have the highest number of HIV patients in the world. More effective actions need to be taken to contain the spread of this epidemic. Unfortunately, our culture takes sex as taboo and therefore keeps such things under the closet. This is one of the prime reasons why these things are never discussed and are ignored. Awareness about this disease as in how it spreads and how it can be prevented is the most effective way of containing this menace. And most importantly, it is a disease and people who may have contracted this disease are like all the others.
The Hindu Report is absolutely correct and the need of the hour is quick action, on a war-footing, by all concerned. In this connection, I salute all the agencies which have been working in this field, especially Indian Development Foundation about which I know almost fully, the wonderful work being done. I wish IDF all the best, as I am proud of its activities and am a well-wisher.
More representative number is as percentage of the total population. India may still the worst but not necessarily that bad.
What??? Don't you guys do some fact checking before publishing potentially dangerous nonsense??
"The prevalence is 18 per cent in South India, says UNAIDS report" Huh? One in five people in South India is positive? That's worse than Sub-Saharan Africa! Facts please?
"The percentage of pregnant women who tested positive for HIV infection in India also rose from 2 per cent in 2005 t0 23 per cent in 2010." What is that supposed to convey? That there has been a 10x increase since 2010 or more of the suspects are getting tested?
Those kinds of numbers don't make ANY sense and are absolutely misleading!! This is appalling and not expected from The Hindu.
Please Email the Editor