By Express News Service
NEW DELHI: HIV infections are declining in India, but there are still an estimated 24.01 lakh patients in the country, including 51,000 children. Most of these patients are concentrated in eight states, including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, the centre told the Rajya Sabha.
As per the government’s HIV Estimation 2021 report, the number of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) in India is 24.01 lakh, said Minister of State of Health and Family Welfare Bharati Pravin Pawar in a written reply.
Around 45 percent (10.83 lakh) of total estimated PLHIV are women, and 2 percent — about 51,000 — are children below the age of 12 years.
The highest number of estimated PLHIV is in Maharashtra (3.94 lakh), followed by Andhra Pradesh (3.21 lakh), Karnataka (2.76 lakh), Uttar Pradesh (1.78 lakh), Tamil Nadu (1.63 lakh), Telangana (1.56 lakh), Bihar (1.43 lakh), and Gujarat (1.14 lakh).
Together, these eight states account for 72 percent of the total estimated PLHIV in India, she added.
“The HIV/AIDS disease has an overall declining trend in India. As per HIV Estimation 2021, annual new HIV infections have declined by 46 per cent in India since 2010,” she said.
Quoting UNAIDS 2022 fact sheet, the minister said globally; that annual new HIV infections have declined by 32 per cent since 2010.
According to the latest UNAIDS report released last week, India figures among countries which saw some of the most significant reductions in HIV infections even amidst Covid-19 and other crises. The other countries are South Africa, Nigeria and the United Republic of Tanzania.
However, the report said that India saw an 8% decline in providing TB preventive therapy to people living with HIV in 2019 and 2020. The two other countries were South Africa and the United Republic of Tanzania, which saw treatment fall by 30 per cent.
NEW DELHI: HIV infections are declining in India, but there are still an estimated 24.01 lakh patients in the country, including 51,000 children. Most of these patients are concentrated in eight states, including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, the centre told the Rajya Sabha.
As per the government’s HIV Estimation 2021 report, the number of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) in India is 24.01 lakh, said Minister of State of Health and Family Welfare Bharati Pravin Pawar in a written reply.
Around 45 percent (10.83 lakh) of total estimated PLHIV are women, and 2 percent — about 51,000 — are children below the age of 12 years.
The highest number of estimated PLHIV is in Maharashtra (3.94 lakh), followed by Andhra Pradesh (3.21 lakh), Karnataka (2.76 lakh), Uttar Pradesh (1.78 lakh), Tamil Nadu (1.63 lakh), Telangana (1.56 lakh), Bihar (1.43 lakh), and Gujarat (1.14 lakh).
Together, these eight states account for 72 percent of the total estimated PLHIV in India, she added.
“The HIV/AIDS disease has an overall declining trend in India. As per HIV Estimation 2021, annual new HIV infections have declined by 46 per cent in India since 2010,” she said.
Quoting UNAIDS 2022 fact sheet, the minister said globally; that annual new HIV infections have declined by 32 per cent since 2010.
According to the latest UNAIDS report released last week, India figures among countries which saw some of the most significant reductions in HIV infections even amidst Covid-19 and other crises. The other countries are South Africa, Nigeria and the United Republic of Tanzania.
However, the report said that India saw an 8% decline in providing TB preventive therapy to people living with HIV in 2019 and 2020. The two other countries were South Africa and the United Republic of Tanzania, which saw treatment fall by 30 per cent.
