Dimapur April 28 (MExN): Despite intensive prevention-specific efforts and unprecedented awareness campaigns undertaken by various HIV/AIDS-specific entities both governmental and NGOs in Nagaland, the state’s HIV/AIDS Prevalence rate has touched 1.63% from 1.43% 2004 according to various web news portals reporting on the latest National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) estimates.
The organization has brought out the latest figures on the number of new HIV infections reported in India. It estimates a total of over 5.2 million HIV cases in the country.
Andhra Pradesh leads the 6 states with the highest prevalence rate with 2% among the general population; the figure has fallen from 2.25% in 2004. Nagaland is second –the HIV prevalence rate here has increased to 1.63% from 1.43% in 2004. Karnataka (1.25%), Maharashtra (1.25%), Manipur (1.25%) and Goa (1.13%) have crossed the 1% high-prevalence mark. Manipur has shown a decrease in prevalence from 1.50% in 2004 to 1.25%. It is pertinent to mention that the state of Nagaland figures among the six states in the country with the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates.
According to the report the problem seems to be with high-risk groups attending clinics for sexually-transmitted diseases in Andhra Pradesh, the figure for those testing HIV-positive has increased from 16.40% in 2004 to 22.80% in 2005. In Karnataka the prevalence rate has gone up from 12% in 2004 to 13.60%; in Maharashtra it went from 10.8% to 15.20%; in Manipur from 7.2% to 12.2%; in Nagaland from 1.72% to 3.48%; in Rajasthan from 1.26% to 4.04%; Orissa from 2.8% to 4.6%; Mizoram from 1.0% to 3.0%; West Bengal from 0.88% to 2.04%; and Tripura from 0.73% to 1.26%.
When contacted Deputy Director of NSACS, Vizole maintained that the prevalence rate was only 1.5%. To the query that it clashed with the stats of the NACO, the Deputy Director said the latest prevalence rate might be in ‘aggregate.’
India reported 72,000 new HIV infections last year compared to 28,000 in 2004, a 157% jump in the number of infections, according to latest figures from the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), it was quoted.
Further on the stats, of people reporting HIV-positive status in 2005, 60.3% are male, 38.4% female and 0.96% children. According to NACO, most of the new infections are in the 22-45 age-group. However, the country’s HIV prevalence percentage is below 1% (0.88%) and remains below epidemic status.
While an international study published recently suggested that the growth rate of HIV/AIDS in the general population in high-prevalence southern Indian states had declined in the past year, high-risk groups in these states continue to add to the number of new infections.
The NACO report also took note of Mizoram (0.88%), Delhi (0.25%), Rajasthan (0.13%), Orissa (0.25%) and West Bengal (0.66%) have been marked as slow and silent pockets of the epidemic and states to be watched. Lack of data poses a problem in states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar both of which reported 0% prevalence this year. Zero prevalence has been reported in 11 states. NACO has decided to replace zero prevalence with 0.17% in these states.
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