HIV/AIDS in India

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India has had a sharp increase in the estimated number of HIV infections, from the first reported case in 1986 in chennai among a commercial sex worker, then escalating to several thousand in the early 1990s to around five million in 2003. National estimates have come under scrutiny and are generally considered to be underestimations of the true absolute number of persons living with HIV in India.

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, 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 programmes 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.

[edit] See also

AIDS pandemic

[edit] External links

AIDSPortal India page Latest research, case studies and news stories
Aids Crisis in India Sapna Magazine Article

[edit] References

Ekstrand Maria, Garbus Lisa and Marseille Elliot (2003) 'HIV/AIDS in India', AIDS Research Institute: AIDS Policy Research Center, University of California, San Franciso, 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
India 'cuts HIV infection rate' a new link to BBC site

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