World AIDS day observed

New Delhi, Dec 1: The Department of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday held special programmes at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, highlighting the importance of World AIDS day.

Director of the Department Dr K Raman gave away prizes to students proficient in various competitions conducted by Puducherry AIDS Control Society on the occasion.

He said there should be sustained campaign to generate awareness about HIV virus and also of AIDS among people.

He also released a brochure on awareness about AIDS.

Officials of the Health department and the Project Director of AIDS Control society Dr Gurumoorthy were among those who spoke.

New HIV infections rose marginally between 2010-11: Survey

The number of new HIV infections in India increased marginally between 2010 and 2011, with Andhra Pradesh estimated to have the highest number of new infections in the 15-49 age group followed by Odisha, Jharkhand and Karnataka.

On World AIDS Day on Saturday, the new HIV Sentinel Surveillance to monitor levels and trends of HIV epidemic among different population groups in the country has revealed that males account for 69 per cent of the total new infections while females account for the remaining 31 per cent.

However, the HIV epidemic is stable in India and reversing on account of continued decline in the overall HIV prevalence rate in the high prevalence states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Manipur and Nagaland.

The epidemic has seen a rollback in these states, with the national HIV adult prevalence declining from 0.31 per cent in 2009-2010 to 0.27 per cent in 2010-11.

New infections increase marginally, with survey findings stating, "The declining trend of new infections at national level was sustained till 2010 when estimate for this indicator was 1.30 lakh (0.84 lakh to 2 lakh) at rounded off values. Between 2010 and 2011 the number of new HIV infections is estimated to have increased marginally. In 2011, it is estimated that 1.30 lakh (0.82 lakh to 2.18 lakh) adults and children were newly infected."

The survey adds that while in 2011 the number of estimated new HIV infections is 1,30,977, it was 1,30,594 in 2010 - a slight raise.

The number was 1,43,856 in 2007.

The positive part of the finding is that the estimated number of new HIV infections has declined steadily over the past decade by about 57 per cent from 2000 to 2011.

During 2007, the first year of NACP III (National Aids Control Programme), new HIV infections were estimated at 1.43 lakh.