60,000 full-blown cases of AIDS in Maharashtra

[Guest guest]

28 November 2007

NAGPUR: In a shocking revelation, the Upper House was informed that there were

over 60,000 full-blown cases of AIDS in the state while 2.85 lakh people were

detected with HIV. As many as 184 cases of children, who were diagnosed to be

HIV positive, were registered at the AIDS treatment centre at Yavatmal on

November 14.

Health minister Vimal Mundhda said the AIDs situation was alarming in the

absence of efforts to check the spread of the dreaded disease by the government.

Mundhda admitted that 184 cases of children infected with HIV were registered at

the Yavatmal referral centre and that the patients were from districts of

Yavatmal, Chandrapur, Akola, Amravati, Washim and Adilabad in neighbouring

Andhra Pradesh. Of them, 169 children tested positive.

Mundhda said 115 NGOs were involved in the AIDS awareness and control operations

through the National Aids Control Organisation and its state arm. The minister

admitted that a 11-member MLA committee formed in August to study the situation

was yet to hold a meeting. She added that a special audit would be undertaken to

examine the role of the NGOs and that a report on the AIDS situation in the

state would be presented in the House after two months.

Mundhda said AIDS awareness and treatment was being carried out through 678

integrated counseling and diagnostic centres, 17 anti-retroviral treatment (ART)

centres and 96 STD control centres.

Nine district hospitals were provided with AIDS treatment facilities, she added.

The minister conceded to Ashish Jaiswal’s demand that warning on theharmful

impact of reuse of shaving blades be displayed at barbers’ shops.

Denying distribution of HIV infected blood from any of the 252 blood banks in

the state, she said collection of HIV infected blood from voluntary donors had

come down from 2 per cent to 0.56 per cent. Such samples were immediately

destroyed she said.

Adding that infection of infants through mothers had also dropped to 0.78 per

cent.

Source:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Nagpur/60000_cases_of_AIDS_in_Maharashtra/art\

icleshow/2573990.cms

Regards,

F. Borges

Programme Manager, HIV/AIDS

The Young Men’s Christian Association, (YMCA)

140, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Nagpur – 440 001, Maharashtra – INDIA

Phone: +91-712-2524 834, 2548 789, 2540 024; Mobile: +91-9923414559

E-mail: peter.borges@...; Skype: peterfloriano; Website:

http://www.ymcanagpur.org