Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) test positivity rate has come down to 0.01% in 2020-21 compared to the positivity rate reported five years ago in Andhra Pradesh. Currently, over 1,92,390 people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the State are receiving Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) Centres across the State.
During the past year 9,918 new HIV positive cases were detected after 7.5 lakh persons were tested. In the year 2015-16, over 10.2 lakh persons were tested and 23,960 of them were detected HIV positive, according to the Andhra Pradesh State AIDS Control Society (APSACS).
In a press conference held in Vijayawada on the eve of World AIDS Day, APSACS officials said that with improved clinical support and other services being provided to the people living with HIV (PLHIV) the number of new infections and number of deaths due to AIDS have come down significantly in the State.
Additional Project Director Dr. P. Umadevi said that the prevalence of HIV among adults (15-49 age group) in AP is estimated to be 0.66% in 2020 while it was 0.79% in 2015 as per the statistics of the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO).
The number of infections among pregnant women has come down, the officials say. In 2015-16 out of 9.5 lakh, pregnant women tested 997 were having HIV and in 2020-21 out of 8.4 lakh tested 585 pregnant women were found to be infected with HIV.
