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Three-fold rise in HIV-hit in Punjab in 3 yrs
THE TIMES OF INDIA
1 Dec, 2010 - TNN
[ Priya Yadav ]
CHANDIGARH: An alarming increase in the rate of injectable drug users (IDUs) in Punjab has led to a worrying spiral in the number of people getting infected with HIV. Nearly, 61,000 people are living with HIV and AIDS in Punjab as compared to 17,000 in 2007.
According to mapping estimates of 2009, there are around 23,000 IDUs in the state with HIV prevalence of 26.1%. The national prevalence is 9%.
"There has been a four-fold rise in people suffering from HIV in Punjab because earlier we did not include the high-risk group," said Punjab AIDS Control Society additional director NM Sharma. With the state having nearly three times higher number of drug abusers using injections, the problem of HIV has only become more acute. "The number is more than this and a survey is in progress to fathom the real problem," said Sharma.
"We don’t know the number of HIV infected people. All we know is that we were detecting 4,000 people with HIV every year and the number has gone up to 5,000 per annum," he added. Adult HIV prevalence among males is 0.37% and in females, it is 0.26%.
Chawla said, "We have started five Opioid Substitution Therapy Centres in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Batala, Jalandhar and Ludhiana as part of the harm reduction services. The services will be expanded in time to come in other districts as per the programme requirement."
What has become a cause for concern is the failure of health authorities to reach out to all those suffering from HIV and providing them adequate medical care. About 16,110 were registered in HIV Care till October 2010, but only half, about 8,890, were put on anti-retro viral therapy (ART) in the state. The numbers of those on medicine have only dwindled — with just 6,045 currently on ART in the state.
So far, 1,325 people in the state have died of AIDS. The number is likely to go up considering the phenomenal growth of drug abusers sharing needles.
source:
http://m.timesofindia.com/PDATOI/articleshow/7019077.cms
THE TIMES OF INDIA
1 Dec, 2010 - TNN
CHANDIGARH: An alarming increase in the rate of injectable drug users (IDUs) in Punjab has led to a worrying spiral in the number of people getting infected with HIV. Nearly, 61,000 people are living with HIV and AIDS in Punjab as compared to 17,000 in 2007.
According to mapping estimates of 2009, there are around 23,000 IDUs in the state with HIV prevalence of 26.1%. The national prevalence is 9%.
"There has been a four-fold rise in people suffering from HIV in Punjab because earlier we did not include the high-risk group," said Punjab AIDS Control Society additional director NM Sharma. With the state having nearly three times higher number of drug abusers using injections, the problem of HIV has only become more acute. "The number is more than this and a survey is in progress to fathom the real problem," said Sharma.
"We don’t know the number of HIV infected people. All we know is that we were detecting 4,000 people with HIV every year and the number has gone up to 5,000 per annum," he added. Adult HIV prevalence among males is 0.37% and in females, it is 0.26%.
Chawla said, "We have started five Opioid Substitution Therapy Centres in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Batala, Jalandhar and Ludhiana as part of the harm reduction services. The services will be expanded in time to come in other districts as per the programme requirement."
What has become a cause for concern is the failure of health authorities to reach out to all those suffering from HIV and providing them adequate medical care. About 16,110 were registered in HIV Care till October 2010, but only half, about 8,890, were put on anti-retro viral therapy (ART) in the state. The numbers of those on medicine have only dwindled — with just 6,045 currently on ART in the state.
So far, 1,325 people in the state have died of AIDS. The number is likely to go up considering the phenomenal growth of drug abusers sharing needles.
source:
http://m.timesofindia.com/PDATOI/articleshow/7019077.cms
