Since India now has the highest estimated number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world, (5.7 million) funding mechanisms provide scope for increased amounts of money being pumped into the country. A situation the government and many NGO’s can exploit for their personal benefit. Elements of corruption and malpractices within the systems at a micro and macro level will ensure proportionate levels of lesser, questionable impact and low quality of service.

Furthermore, we should also not loose sight of the fact that these are estimated numbers. Realistic numbers are obviously higher. Since HIV is by far still a “hidden epidemic”, there are large unaccounted numbers of people who are HIV positive and are not even aware of it. They are probably and ignorantly, still indulging in high risk behavior. Then there is another large chunk of the populations that are aware of their HIV positive status but are not accounted for as well. They are also indulging in high risk behavior – but not ignorant about it. Take another fact into account of the basic flaws and limitations in the national surveillance systems to monitor the epidemic. Hence, the reflections are at times probably inaccurate and misleading.

Given all of the above mentioned points, we might not be in a position to correctly foresee the worse case scenario of an anticipated time period when the epidemic crescendo’s towards a “tipping point”. A point where the epidemic tips and… spreads like wild fire! A fire that will be too late to control!!

“The data released by UNAIDS shows that India now has the largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS. With an estimated 5.7 million infections, it has surpassed South Africa’s 5.5 million.”
Indian government should take this matter very seriously. Until now, AIDS is not a heavy burden in the Indian economy but if this way continues then within one decade India will have to fight against AIDS more than economic growth.