Number of injecting drug users on the rise in Delhi, Punjab: Study

Posted January 27, 2010 · January 27, 2010

Teena Thacker Tags :Wednesday, Jan 27, 2010 at 0329 hrs New Delhi:

Even as the latest data on HIV/AIDS in India suggests a drop in the overall

spread of the virus, a very high prevalence has been seen among the high-risk

groups in various states.

Earlier limited to Northeastern states like Manipur and Nagaland, the prevalence

of Injecting Drug Users (IDUs) this time has been found in Delhi and Punjab too.

According to the latest data of 2008-09, the prevalence of IDUs in Delhi is

18.60 per cent. In 2007, this was 10.10 per cent. Likewise in Punjab, the

prevalence of IDUs was 13.79 in 2007, and has now increased to 26.36 per cent.

" The new data suggests that there is a need to spearhead the same interventions

for IDUs in these newly emerging places too as we have done in the Northeastern

states. Delhi, Punjab and Mumbai have become the new hot spots for the IDUs, "

said Dr Damodar Bachani, Deputy, Director-General, department of AIDS control.

According to experts, the spread of the virus in the MSM group (Men having sex

with men) still remains high. Andhra Pradesh recorded the maximum HIV/AIDS

prevalence in MSM (23.60 per cent), followed by Manipur (17.21 per cent),

Maharashtra (12.80 per cent) and Karnataka (12.52 per cent) in 2008-2009.

The prevalence of the virus in the Female Sex Workers (FSW) in certain states

has increased, says the latest data. While, according to the 2007 data, the

prevalence of HIV in FSW was 5.30 per cent in Karnataka, the latest data shows

Karnataka has the highest FSW prevalence (14.40 per cent), followed by Nagaland

(14.06 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (11.14 per cent).

According to the new data, Maharashtra has recorded highest prevalence of

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) (13.07 per cent). In 2007, it was Andhra

Pradesh that had the highest prevalence of STDs (17.20 per cent).

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