HIV prevalence among all risk groups has come down in the State, thanks to increasing adoption of safe sex practices, said A.P. State Aids Control Society (APSACS) Joint Director T. Kailashditya.
HIV prevalence that was 1.22 per cent four years ago now stands at 0.77 per cent, he said at a programme Coming Together – A Partnership for Public Health , organised by India HIV/AIDS Alliance and FICCI.
Mr. Kailashditya said the fourth phase of the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) was on and the target was to bring the prevalence of the virus to zero. The role of industries was significant now and several employee-led programmes were participants.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ganesh Ramakrishnan, Director, Avahan Programme, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation reiterated the importance of partnership with corporate donors for continuous investment, so as to improve the health of marginalised populations in India. He called for a government charter on the diseases and their connection between government programmes and access.
FICCI chairperson Sangita Reddy said finding a cure for HIV was too big a project for one laboratory or a country, and said it needed substantial investment and research collaboration. It was also necessary to ensure that the cure was affordable and available to all who need it. The director of India HIV AIDS Alliance’s regional office, Mr. P. Prabhakar, also spoke.