Economic impact of rise in HIV cases in India

March 3, 2005

Economic Survey highlights impact of rise in HIV cases:

[Health India]: New Delhi, Feb 25 : The increasing number of HIV

positive cases would have serious medical, social and economic

implications - particularly as 0.9 percent of them are adults below

49 years - India's annual Economic Survey 2004-05 has warned.

Calling for strengthening national AIDS control efforts, the survey

estimates that by the end of 2003, an estimated 5.1 million people,

including women and children, were living with HIV/AIDS. Of these,

the adult (15-49 years) prevalence rate was 0.9 percent.

" These figures are causes of increasing concern as persons infected

with HIV will progress to AIDS, resulting in steep increase in number

of AIDS patients in the country with consequent medical, economic and

social implications, " stated the survey presented in parliament

Friday by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram.

Other than six high HIV/AIDS prevalence states of Andhra Pradesh,

Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Manipur and Nagaland, 14 low

prevalence states including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh

have been re-categorised as highly vulnerable.

" A disturbing aspect of the present HIV infection in India is its

emergence among the general population, " says the survey.

In order to pay greater attention to the campaign against AIDS, the

government has set up a national council on AIDS headed by the prime

minister.

The government has also started offering anti-retroviral treatment

(ART) to HIV affected patients through the public health programmes.

So far, 1,213 AIDS cases have been put on the ART being offered in

eight government hospitals.

Of the people availing of the treatment, 96.1 percent have been found

to be adhering to the ART regime.

More hospitals are soon to offer ART, which helps to improve the

quality of life of affected people.

--Indo-Asian News Service

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