Darjeeling: Queen of hills new HIV hotspot

[Guest guest]

Queen of hills in HIV grip

G.S. MUDUR

New Delhi, July 28: Darjeeling, known as the queen of the hills, has emerged as

a new HIV hotspot with two persons infected in every 100, according to the

latest snapshot of India's HIV epidemic from the National AIDS Control

Organisation (Naco).

The northern Bengal district is among nine across India newly identified by Naco

as emerging hotspots with HIV prevalence rates of more than 1 per cent — a

cut-off public health experts say indicates that the infection is spreading from

high-risk groups into the general population.

Nine new districts (with a prevalence of over 1 per cent) have popped up, Naco

director-general Kanuru Sujatha Rao said today. Patna, Banka and Sitamarhi in

Bihar, Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Deogarh (Orissa), Kasargod (Kerala), Amreli

(Gujarat), and Jangir-Champa in Chhattisgarh are the other additions to the club

of 87 such high-burden districts.

The new figures based on surveillance during 2007 suggest that the prevalence in

Darjeeling has jumped from a level below 1 per cent last year, but Naco

officials and public health specialists say the reasons for the climb remain

unclear.

Each district is likely to have its own tale, said Ashok , director of

Avahan, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s HIV prevention initiative in

India.

An increase in migration is something you might look for. The question to be

asked is whether it (Darjeeling) has seen a greater influx of migrant labour or

tourists, he said.

Darjeeling, which has been a tourist spot ever since the British developed it,

also sees a constant movement of people across the Nepal border.

But the rise to a level above 1 per cent indicates a spillover from high-risk

groups into the general population,†said.

Public health experts believe that it is harder to contain the spread of the HIV

virus after it has moved into the general population than when it is confined to

high-risk groups such as commercial sex workers or injecting drug users.

Health sector analysts tracking the HIV infection believe Indias big problem is

that certain high-risk groups remain hidden from interventions actions that

will allow them to learn and access steps to prevent infections.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080729/jsp/frontpage/story_9616066.jsp

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

Re: /message/9100

The news that has come up in the telegraph quoting Darjeeling the

Queen of hills to be the next HIV hotspot is really scarry and

something the people of this place needs to think about and act

accordingly, but at the same time it is also to be noted that the

reference has been made to Darjeeling district which includes the

plains areas viz siliguri, considered to be the gateway to northeast

India.

A lot of confusion arises due to this. Siliguri being a business hub

and as rightly said the gateway to northeast india is very active

sexually with a high number of High Risk Groups involved, hence it

is really not right to quote Darjeeling the queen of hills to be the

next HIV hotspot infact it would be better if Darjeeling District be

given the emphasis rather than the lonely town itself.

This is going to create a negative impact in the tourism industry as the

darjeeling town is very much dependent in the tourism industry, and anybody

coming to this place if wishes to land up being sexually

involved has to think twice/ thrice before plunging into anything.

So NACO must comes out with the exact figures of Darjeeling Hills and

plains seperately.

This would give a better picture to all of us and even if Darjeling Hills alone

falls under this danger zone then we people as true citizens of this place

really needs to give a bigger

and better thought to lower the rate.

Discussions and suggestions on this topic are very much welcome.

Pranais

e-mail: <pranais@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

/message/9114

 

We need to get out of the number and denial game. There is no doubt that the

iceberg of HIV infection is hidden and with increase in awareness of Free HIV

testing and increased access to ART, more and more people will come forward for

testing and labelling HIGH RISK does not cary much of a TAG VALUE except for

urgency.

 

Civil societies need to engage with govt programmes and discuss the message of

HIV prevention and safe behaviour. Denial of existence of a disease just becaue

it may affect tourism will be counterproductive and the energy should be

focussed on motivating friends to adopt safe behaviour- safe injection, safe

sex...

 

The new slogan for cmmunity participation could be EACH ONE CHANGE ONE akin to

that of the total literacy campaign.

 

Rajesh.

--

Dr RK Sood

FETP Scholar (NIE, Chennai)

drrksood@...

+91 9418064077, +91 9445157327

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

Re: /message/9114

The Telegraph North Bengal and Sikkim edition had written about the situation

soon after the sentinel surveillance report 2007 was published by WBSACS. It

mentioned the main regions where hot spots in Darjeeling district and adjoining

North Dinajpur had emerged and the need to carry out immediate intervention

projects. But not much has happened so far to check the spread ov the virus

among IDUs in Siliguri region and Darjeling, and among sex workers, esp. at

Panjipara.

 

Amit

E-MAIL: amitrajit.ukil@...

______________________

Infection rate rings alarm bells for regionâ HIV monitors

AMIT UKIL

Siliguri, April 23: The HIV infection has assumed an epidemic-like proportion in

north Bengal, with Siliguri and Islampur having the highest concentration of

positive persons, the latest sentinel surveillance carried out by the West

Bengal State AIDS Prevention & Control Society says.

At a time when infection rates in the rest of the country are plateaued out, the

number of new cases in north Bengal is on the rise. We had to change our

approach to the interventions being carried out in the region because of the

almost epidemic-like situation here, said Mahesh , the team leader of the

society's Project Support Unit, over the phone from Calcutta today.

The areas of concern that have emerged are the injecting drug users in

Darjeeling district (see chart), with a high concentration in Siliguri, and the

female sex workers of Islampur and Panjipara in North Dinajpur. Sex workers in

Khalpara, in Siliguri, also appear to be susceptible. A new and growing category

where infections are occurring is men who have sex with men (MSM).

The surveillance — an annual exercise carried out at ante-natal centres,

clinics for sexually transmitted diseases, and targeted intervention sites for

female sex workers and injecting drug users — reveals the recent trends and

epidemiology of the spread of the virus in the state. The latest, 11th round,

was held between October 2007 and January 2008.

Unlinked anonymous testing is done on blood samples drawn at the surveillance

sites by the participating organisations and the findings sent to the society's

office in Calcutta. Subsequent intervention strategies are drawn up on the basis

of these findings,†said.

A visit to the Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) centre at North Bengal Medical

College and Hospital, the only one in the state outside Calcutta, corroborated

the surveillance findings.

Doctors at the centre examine all HIV positive persons and, after a CD4 test,

decide whether ART should commence. This therapy, though not a cure, improves

the quality of life of an AIDS patient and staves off death in most cases.

Of the 1,300 enrolled on ART at the centre now, a significant and growing number

is from Islampur/Panjipara,†said a counsellor attached to the centre. Another

indication that the infection is on the rise is the number of enrolments.

We are now having to start the therapy on about 70 new cases every month, up

from 30 four months back,†the counsellor, requesting anonymity, said.

Similarly, the number of injecting drug users starting the therapy is also

increasing, especially from the three hill sub-divisions and Siliguri. Needle

exchange programmes, at one time considered controversial, and oral substitution

therapy have had to be started in a major way, said.

North Bengal has several factors that are encouraging the spread of the virus,

from a significant number of brothels and flying sex workers and men in uniform

who frequent them, to trafficking in both drugs and humans. Truckers using the

Siliguri corridor are also prone to getting infected, he added.

On the brighter side, the fact that more people are coming forward to get their

blood tested at the several integrated counselling and testing centres (each

district hospital has one now) is an indication that the fear of discrimination

has come down considerably.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080424/jsp/siliguri/story_9180820.jsp