The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : State climbs to second spot in HIV-positive cases

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 28, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

State climbs to second spot in HIV-positive cases

By V .N. Harinath

HYDERABAD, SEPT. 27 . With 4.8 lakh HIV-positive cases, Andhra Pradesh holds the dubious distinction of having ascended to the second spot, after Maharashtra, on the list of States with high incidence of HIV.

The State appears to be a fit case for setting up condom-vending machines, as is being planned in five other States on the HIV hit list. These are Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka; 42 districts in these States have already been selected as part of a scheme, which is to be taken up at a cost of Rs. 10 crores.

Mounting threat

It is feared that if the Government does not wake up to the threat of increasing HIV-positive cases, particularly in Guntur, Prakasam, Cuddapah, Nellore, Karimnagar and West Godavari districts, the State may overtake Maharashtra.

According to the Project Director of Andhra Pradesh AIDS Control Society, K. Damayanti, the HIV situation in the State is similar to the one in South Africa a decade ago. Of its population of 42 million, South Africa is said to have five million infected persons.

Steep rise in cases

Andhra Pradesh has been included in Group 1, along with Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Manipur, Karanataka and Nagaland, where the epidemic follows a different pattern.

A survey conducted by the Society reveals that HIV-positive cases in the State have gone up steeply -- by over 20 per cent -- this year.

There has also been a 32 per cent rise in the sale of condoms over that of the previous year.

Plans are afoot by the US-Funded Free AIDS Cure Programme to make available free medicines in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tamil Nadu. About 1 lakh affected people are expected to benefit this year. Medicines are given to persons with HIV/AIDS whose CD4 count falls below 200 cells/mm3, as against the normal range of 500 to 1,200 cells/mm3, so they can prevent opportunistic infections.

A survey puts the HIV incidence highest in the temple town of Tirupati. This is followed by Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Rajahmundry. The Society cautions young people to be concerned about HIV/AIDS, as 50 per cent of the new HIV infections have occurred in those aged between 15 and 24 years. "Young people are at a high risk of acquiring sexually-transmitted infections, including HIV, if they experiment with sex or drugs," Ms. Damayanti said.

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