Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

http.://www.avert.org/indiaaids.htm

http://www.nacoonline.org/facts_reportjuly.htm

India has a population of one billion, around half of whom are adults in the sexually active age group. The first AIDS case in India was detected in 1986, and since then HIV infection has been reported in all States and Union Territories.

The spread of HIV in India has been diverse, with much of India having a low rate of infection and the epidemic being most extreme in the southern half of the country and in the far north-east. The highest HIV prevalence rates are found in Maharashtra in the west; Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka in the south; and Manipur and Nagaland in the north-east. ¹

As of May 2005, 92% of all nationally reported AIDS cases have been found in 10 of the 38 States Union Territories. The greatest numbers were in Maharashtra and Gujarat in the west; Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in the south; and Manipur in the north-east.²

In the southern States, the infections are mostly due to heterosexual contact, while infections are mainly found amongst injecting drug users in Manipur and Nagaland.³

Estimated numbers of adults and children living with HIV/AIDS, end of 2003³

Group	Living with HIV/AIDS
Adults	5,000,000
Women	1,900,000
Children	120,000
Total	5,100,000
Adult HIV prevalence estimate	0.9%

These are UNAIDS/WHO estimates. Adults are defined as men and women aged 15 to 49. These estimates include all those with HIV infection, whether or not they have developed symptoms of AIDS.

The Indian National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) estimates that 5.134 million people were living with HIV in 2004. This represents a slight increase from the 2003 estimate, and a substantial increase from 4.58 million in 2002. Only South Africa has more people living with HIV. ⁴

AIDS data, end of May 2005²

Gender	Cumulative AIDS cases
Male	77,457
Female	31,892
Total	109,349

The statistics for AIDS cases may be a poor guide to the severity of the epidemic, as in many situations a patient will die without HIV having been diagnosed, and with the cause of death attributed to an opportunistic infection, such as tuberculosis or PCP.

Transmission Categories	Number of cases	%		Age group	Male	Female	Total
Sexual	93,964	85.93		0-14	2,779	1,945	4,744
Perinatal	3,957	3.62		15-29	21,440	14,149	35,589
Blood and blood products	2,201	2.01		30-49	47,312	14,159	61,471
Injecting drug users	2,661	2.43		≥=50	5,906	1,639	7,545
Others (not specified)	6,566	6.00		Total	77,457	31,892	109,349
Total	109,349	100%

State/Union Territory	AIDS cases
Andhra Pradesh	11,819
Assam	225
Arunachal Pradesh	0
A & N Islands	33
Bihar	155
Chattisgarh	0
Chandigarh (UT)	1,181
Delhi	950
Daman & Diu	1
Dadra & Nagar Haveli	0
Goa	555
Gujarat	5,561
Haryana	469
Himachal Pradesh	239
Jharkhand	0
Jammu & Kahmir	2
Karnataka	2,478
Kerala	1,769
Lakshadweep	0
Madhya Pradesh	1,347
Maharashtra	13,402
Orissa	128
Nagaland	736
Manipur	2,866
Mizoram	106
Meghalaya	8
Pondicherry	302
Punjab	292
Rajasthan	1,153
Sikkim	8
Tamil Nadu	52,036
Tripura	5
Uttranchal	0
Uttar Pradesh	1,383
West Bengal	2,397
Ahemdabad M C	520
Chennai MC	0
Mumbai MC	7,223
Total	109,349

HIV estimates, 2004¹

The prevalence rates below are taken from data collected during screening of women attending antenatal clinics.

Some are

State/Union Territory	HIV prevalence (%)
Andhra Pardesh	2.25
Arunachal Pradesh	0.17
Assam	0.00
Bihar	0.00
Chattisgarh	0.00
Goa	1.13
Gujarat	0.13
Haryana	0.00
Himachal Pradesh	0.13
Jammu & Kashmir	0.08
Jharkhand	0.00
Karnataka	1.25
Kerala	0.33
Madhya Pardesh	0.25
Maharashtra	1.25
Mumbai	1.12
Manipur	1.50
Meghalaya	0.00
Mizoram	1.25
Nagaland	1.43
Orissa	0.50
Punjab	0.25
Rajasthan	0.00
Sikkim	0.00
Tamil Nadu	0.50
Tripura	0.30
Uttar Pradesh	0.25
Uttranchal	0.00
West Bengal	0.50
A & N Islands	0.00
Chandigarh	0.50
D & N Haveli	0.00
Daman & Diu	0.38
Lakshdweep	0.00
Pondicherry	0.25

as report an HIV prevalence rate of 0 in antenatal clinics. This does not necessarily mean that there is no HIV in the area, as some of them report the presence of the virus at STD clinics and amongst injecting drug users. In many states and territories, the average antenatal HIV prevalence is based on reports from fewer than five clinics.