AIDS Still an enemy to reckon with for troops

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AIDS Still an enemy to reckon with for troops

TIMES NEWS NETWORK (Times of India 11/9/05)

Pune: The exact number of HIV/AIDS infected personnel within the three services

is a reality that the defence authotirities have never been comfortable

discussing. openly.

Although the prevalance of the deadly infection has reached a " plateau " within

the forces, it is estimated that there are still over 4000 HIV/AIDS victims in

the ranks.

Speaking to TOI on saturday, director-general of the Armed Forces Medical

Services Surgeon Vice Admiral V K Singh said, " Thanks to the aggressive

education of HIV-related information in the last three years, there have been no

new cases in both the Navy and Air Force, whereas in the Army, the numbers have

declined considerably. "

A senior military official, earlier involved in the armed forces' Aids Control

Organisation (ACO), said although the number of newly infected has reached a

" plateau " in recent times, troops are still a

vulnerable lot because of separartion from families for unnaturally long

periods.

A report prepared by ACO a couple of years back had revealed that out of the

total cases reported, 81% belonged to the Army, 10% to Navy, 2% to the Air Force

and the remaining shared by others within the defence establishement.

The situation in the defence forces was such that till about three years back,

500-600 cases were added annually. A survey carried out at the Armed Forces

Medical College's PSM department had revelaed

that only a meagre 10% of the soldeirs who visited commercial sex workers used

condoms.