New AIDS figures released

India no longer leads the world when it comes to HIV numbers.

The latest data released by the government shows that the country has around 2 to 3 million people with HIV, much lower than last year's figure of 5.7 million.

''After being accused of underestimating the data, there is good news this year. We have robust data from two surveys that show that between 2 to 3 million who are living with AIDS.''

''But the two figures are not comparable. WHO Geneva, CDC Atlanta, UNAIDS and NACO - they compiled data of sentinel sites. They say prevalence point is 0.9 to 0.4,'' said Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister.

This downsizing happened when the government used data from two surveys done on separate groups.

The first one was NACO's sentinel surveillance data collected from samples of high-risk groups like sex workers and STD clinics and the other was the third National Family Health Survey, which sampled people who live in households.

Taken together, the estimate is closer to the truth.

The government says that although the epidemic seems to be contained with infection rates falling steadily in states like Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, states which have so far had fewer cases like Orissa and Rajasthan, are now showing new hotspots leaving no place for complacency.

This correction in numbers may have brought cheer to health officials, but on the ground, the challenges are huge.

The contours of the epidemic are changing.

New high-risk groups like men who have sex with men or MSMs, so far invisible, are now emerging, while unsafe intravenous drug use is sharply on the rise.

The next step will be to shape policy to meet these new realities.

But for the moment, the government is plain relieved that finally they have a method of tracking the AIDS epidemic more accurately.

source:www.ndtv.com