An estimated 38 million people are living with HIV/AIDS all over the world, of whom 23 lakh are in India and about four lakh people are in Andhra Pradesh. About 91% of the affected people contracted the virus due to engaging in unsafe sex. This indicates that while the incidence of HIV/AIDS has come down over the years, challenges still persist in eradicating the disease.
Giving details to the media on the eve of World AIDS Day 2023 on Thursday, District Medical and Health Officer P. Jagadeeswara Rao said that about 90% of the infected people are in the age group of 15 to 49 years. The theme of this year’s World AIDS Day is ‘Let communities lead’, indicating the importance of the community not to discriminate against those living with AIDS. All government departments, NGOs and volunteers should make joint efforts in this regard, he said.
The first World AIDS Day was observed in 1988, and since then it was being observed on December 1 every year. As many as 189 nations, including India, had declared December 1 as AIDS Day to create awareness among the people about the disease.
The incidence of HIV in AP is 0.36% and in Visakhapatnam district it is slightly higher at 0.37%, according to HIV Sentinel Sero-surveillance Survey (HSS). In combined Visakhapatnam district, there are 3,667 People Living with HIV AIDS (PLHA) and 1,080 of them were availing of the benefits of various schemes being provided by the government.
District AIDS Control Officer Poornendra Babu said there was no shortage of testing kits in Visakhapatnam district. “We have a buffer stock. However, the supply to the PHCs would be given based on their requirements. This is because a proper cold chain has to be maintained for the efficacy of the kits. We have identified 1,900 female sex workers, 915 male sex workers, 1,000 injection drug abusers and 200 transgenders in the district,” he said.
The high-risk groups were being screened regularly and the ART drugs were being given to them free of cost. Those using the ART drugs in accordance with the treatment schedule, were being given pensions by the State government. All pregnant women were invariably being screened for HIV, he said.
Dr. Jagadeeswara Rao said that District Collector A. Mallikarjuna has come up with the idea of raising donations to provide nutritious food to children of HIV/AIDS patients, for one whole year. It would work out to ₹700 a month for an individual. He recalled that Mr. Mallikarjuna had donated his one month’s salary to the children of patients on AIDS Day last year.
Representatives of Lupin Foundation handed over drugs worth ₹1 lakh to the DM & HO for the benefit of TB patients.
