HIV/AIDS in India

HIV/AIDS in India

The number of people living with AIDS in India is estimated to be between 2 and 3 million. The country has had a sharp decrease in the estimated number of HIV infections; 2005 reports had claimed that there were 5.2 million to 5.7 million people afflicted with the virus. The new figures are supported by the World Health Organization and UNAIDS. [cite web | url = http://data.unaids.org/pub/PressRelease/2007/070706_indiapressrelease_en.pdf | title= 2.5 million people in India living with Aids, according to new estimates | publisher= New York Times | accessdate=2007-06-08] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6276398.stm 'Sharp drop' in India Aids levels] ,BBC] . This brings the HIV prevalence rate in India below many western nations including the US, Canada, Italy, France, and Spain, at .36 percent.

India's national epidemic is made up of a number of local epidemics, and in some places they occur within the same state. The epidemics vary, from states with mainly heterosexual transmission of HIV (85%), often via interaction with sex workers, to some states where intravenous drug use is the main route of transmission. Both tracking the epidemic and implementing effective programs poses a serious challenge to the authorities and communities in India. HIV surveillance in India falls under the auspices of the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO). The majority of HIV surveillance data collected by NACO is done through annual unlinked anonymous testing of prenatal clinic (or antenatal clinics) and sexually transmitted infection clinic attendees. Annual reports of HIV surveillance are freely available on NACO's website.

India has a large population and population density, low literacy levels and consequently low levels of awareness, and HIV/AIDS is one of the most challenging public health problems ever faced by the country. A recent study published in the British medical journal "The Lancet" in (2006) reported an approximately 30% decline in HIV infections among young women aged 15 to 24 years attending prenatal clinics in selected southern states of India from 2000 to 2004 where the epidemic is thought to be concentrated. The authors cautiously attribute observed declines to increased condom use by men who visit commercial sex workers and cite several pieces of corroborating evidence.

Controversy on figures of HIV/AIDS

The UN estimates that India has the highest number of HIV infections, with 5.7 million people carrying the virus. The survey of blood samples reported by British journal BMC Medicine suggests the true figure may be 40% of that [ HIV/AIDS figures over hyped in India [http://www.rxbharat.com/component/content/article/60-guide/48-are-hivaids-figure-over-hyped-in-india HIV/AIDS in India] , "accessed on" 15 April, 2008. ] . UN and Indian experts queried whether a study conducted in one district in the south could be extrapolated nationwide.The study is based on research in Guntur district in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, which is worst-hit by the infection. Investigators collected blood samples from 12,617 people aged between 15 and 49 in Guntur - one of the worst affected areas in the state - to come to their conclusions. The method estimated that there were 45,900 people living with HIV in Guntur, compared with the estimate of 112,600 reached by the official method.

See also

* AIDS pandemic

External links

* [http://www.nacoonline.org National AIDS Control Organization]
* http://www.aids-free-india.org
* [http://www.aids-free-india.org/youth-adolescent-problems-hiv-aids-free-counselling.asp HIV Free India (councelling)]
* [http://www.masalaads.com/free/categories.php?cat_id=4 Aids Awareness Commercials]

References

Other links

* Ekstrand Maria, Garbus Lisa and Marseille Elliot (2003) 'HIV/AIDS in India', AIDS Research Institute: AIDS Policy Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, August. http://ari.ucsf.edu/ari/policy/countries.htm
* National AIDS Control Organization NACO (2003) 'HIV/AIDS Surveillance in India'
* UNAIDS 2004 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic
* UNPAN (2003) National AIDS Prevention and Control Policy (India) www.unpan.org
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4855952.stm India 'cuts HIV infection rate'] a new link to BBC site
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6174715.stm India 'overestimates' HIV/Aids]


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