Re: NGOs challenge UNAIDS India AIDS estimates

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum members,

[This is in reference to the news item Purushottaman of the NGO Joint

Action Council Kannur (JACK)]

I cannot comment on the confusion about the figures. But, it would be

improper to say, HIV is not visible in the country. In Manipur, you go ask

anybody whether you have seen anybody suffering or dying of AIDS, he would

tell you " yes " in all probabilities. This is also the case in many other

parts of the country. Well, we do not expect HIV to occur like common cold

or influenza and only then call it an epidemic. By definition, epidemic is

occurrence of any disease in a frequency significantly higher than in the

past. Even a prevalence of 1% of HIV, in places where it was zero in the

past, is a significant variation. Hope this clears, a few doubts.

Dr.A.K.Agarwal, MBBS, MD

South Asia, Regional Technical Advisor - HIV/AIDS

Catholic Relief Services

E-mail: " <crsei@...>

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