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Ear to the Ground

India Tops World for HIV/AIDS Cases

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Posted on May 30, 2006

With an estimated 5.7 million infections, India has surpassed previous global leader South Africa’s 5.5 million. Per capita, however, the rates are still worst in sub-Saharan Africa. (In Swaziland, a third of adults are infected. In India, only 0.9%.)


AP:

India now has the largest number of AIDS infections as the spread of the disease shows no sign of letting up a quarter-century into an epidemic that has claimed 25 million lives, the U.N. reported Tuesday.

“I think we will see a further globalization of the epidemic spreading to every single corner of the planet,” UNAIDS head Dr. Peter Piot told The Associated Press in an interview.

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.

But the epidemic still remains at its worst in sub-Saharan Africa, where per capita rates continue to climb in several countries. A third of adults were infected in Swaziland in 2005. By comparison, India’s per capita rate is low, at 0.9 percent of its 1.02 billion people.

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By Arun Virk, June 5, 2006 at 2:42 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

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!!

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By Razib Ahmed, June 1, 2006 at 5:22 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

“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.

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