The HT Recap 2007: HIV Not an epidemic in India

[Guest guest]

[The following news analysis from Hindustan Times presents an example of

journalistic shallowness of news reporting. The standard of HT

analysis is akin to the local tea shop gossip. Two crucial factors

failed the attention of HT pen pusher., The vulnerability of the

marginalized populations, and the social and economic impact of HIV

infection. Sorry, to begin the New Year with a sour note. Editor]

Recap 2007: Not an epidemic

By HT, Monday December 31, 12:34 AM

The AIDS bugbear did not turn out to be as big and scary as

international doomsayers made it out to be. After accusing India of

playing down its HIV/AIDS epidemic for years, UNAIDS experts admitted

they had got India's AIDS estimates wrong.

This summer, new data backed by UNAIDS showed there were 2.47 million

people with HIV/AIDS in India in 2006, which is less than half of the

2005 estimate of 5.7 million. This also lowered global estimates -

UNAIDS slashed the numbers from 40 million in 2006 to 33 million in

2007. The revision in data, however, did not prompt the Union Health

Ministry to reduce the budget of its Rs 11,585 crore National AIDS

Control Programme III, which was launched this year to scale-up

prevention, testing and treatment plans over the next five years.

" Mature data coming from across the country shows India has been

successful in containing the epidemic. Prevalence, however, over 1

per cent in 104 districts and over 3 per cent in 14 districts, which

shows that while our strategies work, we cannot afford to decrease

the pressure, " said Sujatha Rao, director general, National AIDS

Control Organisation.

http://in.news./071230/32/6p0o8.html

[Guest guest]

Dear Editor,

Re: /message/8289

Thanks for sharing this amateurish report which is bound to create confusion and

misconceptions in the minds of the readers.

There is no room for complacency at any levels even because of an apparent

reduction in the numbers due to a changed methodology.

We are going to get more refined and accurate data including the number of HIV

positive people/(including children needing ART), no.of AIDS orphans, projected

deaths etc from the spectrum package.

The concerned people must be vigilant to curb any unprofessional and erroneous

reporting in this regard.

With best wishes for strengthening of the concerted collective action for the

containment of HIV/AIDS in 2008,

Yours truly,

Dr. Rajesh Gopal, MD

Joint Director, Gujarat State AIDS Control Society (GSACS),

O/1 Block, New Mental Hospital Complex,

Meghaninagar, Ahmedabad, Gujarat. PIN 380016

Phone (O) 079-22680211--12--13,22685210 Fax 079-22680214

e-mail: <dr_rajeshg@...>