AIDS alert! UP and Bihar vulnerable

September 22, 2004

AIDS alert! UP, Bihar vulnerable

KALPANA JAIN

TIMES NEWS NETWORK [WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2004 06:02:33 AM ]

NEW DELHI: HIV has spread far and wide in the states known so far as

" high prevalence " areas. Whether it has increased at all in the states

addressed so far as " low prevalence " is now a matter of debate.

In fact, the government is not ready to describe any part of the

country " low prevalence " now. States such as UP, Bihar and Madhya

Pradesh, which have large populations and are high-risk for HIV, will

be called " highly vulnerable " states.

Sources say that the government is moving its focus to Bihar and UP,

where programmes have started very late. Union health minister

Anbumani Ramadoss has also convened a meeting of state representatives

next month to discuss the seriousness of the issue.

The government has also been under considerable pressure from

international agencies. They have said that India still continues to

be in denial mode over the seriousness of the problem. The executive

director of Global Fund, Dr Feachem, during his recent visit,

is learnt to have been more forthright in criticisng the government.

Officials, who concede that the situation is serious, say it will take

some time for the epidemic to become visible in all these areas. " We

will not see the impact of this infection today, but only five years

later, when people will start coming to hospitals, " said an official.

The shift towards rural areas has been quite alarming. In 1998, the

urban-rural differential in HIV prevalence amongst pregnant women was

estimated at 8:1. This has now narrowed down to 2.4:1. Of the total

5.1 million infected, 3.1 million are in rural areas alone.

" This in itself is cause for concern, " admits an official. " There is

no programme structure below district level. Even at the district

level, what exists is one blood bank, a voluntary counselling and

testing centre and one clinic for patients of sexually-transmitted

diseases. Most of the population will be left to fend for itself. "

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