1 Dec : The World AIDS day was observed to spread awareness and step up efforts to prevent HIV/AIDS across the globe on Wednesday.
The goal set for this year is to accord basic human rights to HIV victims while giving a push to prevention, treatment, care and support for those living with the syndrome.
According to reports, new HIV/AIDS cases in India came down by 50 per cent last year as compared to 2001.
“The recent UN AIDS report has lauded India for its AIDS prevention programme saying that it is doing even better than the United States.
While in 2001 the number of people who got the virus was 2.4 lakh, it came down by half to 1.2 lakh last year.
Among the total number of people affected with HIV in India 40 percent are women and almost 90 percent of the newly infected got the virus due to unprotected sex.
However, the trends show that prevalence rate is coming down among women sex workers.
In the north-east, the main mode of contamination is infected needles shared by drug users. While India has launched an aggressive awareness campaign, the long awaited Bill aimed at protecting the rights of HIV infected persons and addressing discrimination at work places against them is still to see the light of the day.
The Red Ribbon Express in India, the world’s largest mass mobilization drive against HIV-AIDS which returned to New Delhi a few days back travelled through 22 States during its year long journey, halting at over 150 stations covering 80 lakh people.
Thirty five lakh people were tested and counselled during the journey of the special train. In the capital apart from other programme, a Red Ribbon marathon will be flagged off Wednesday to create awareness about HIV-AIDS. (HS-01/12)
177 people have died of AIDS in Mizoram in past two decades
At least 177 people of 527 with full blown AIDS have died in Mizoram during the past two decades.
Stating this on World AIDS Day on Wednesday, Dr Eric Zomawia Project Director of the Mizoram State AIDS Control Society (MSACS) said that the deaths occurred since 1990 when the first HIV/AIDS case was detected in the state.
Zomawia said out of the 1,27,509 blood samples tested during the two decades, 5,151 were found to be HIV positive, he said. A high majority of the people were infected through sexual contact and sharing of syringes by drug users.
Official records said that around 200 babies were born annually in the state with HIV because of infection through their mothers.
On an average 100 fresh cases of HIV were detected every month making the scenario in the state disturbing.