BHOPAL: If one were to go through official data on Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), the situation appears to be alarming in Madhya Pradesh, which ranks among States considered to be highly vulnerable . This has been highlighted in the "Madhya Pradesh Draft Health Sector Reform Strategy" document prepared under a U.K. Department of International Development project at the initiative of the State Government.

This document, on the basis of a recent surveillance data, concludes that the prevalence of HIV among antenatal women in the State was 3.5 per cent and among sexually transmitted disease (STD) patients 15.33 per cent.

The percentage of HIV-positive cases detected by the voluntary counselling and testing centres (VCTCs) run by the Madhya Pradesh State AIDS Control Society between January and December 2005 has been found to be very high.

Of 12,890 persons tested, 1,724 were found positive; that is, 13.37 per cent were found to be HIV patients. The number of HIV patients in the State till July-end this year has gone up to 1,825, according to official sources. Analysis of data available from STD clinics during January-December 2005 also shows higher prevalence of STD among women.

Gender-wise, 1,300 (72 per cent) of AIDS cases were females and 506 (28 per cent) males. The maximum age affected was between 21-40 years; that is, 1,399 (78 per cent) of the total AIDS cases. Available data shows that the main mode of transmission of HIV was through sexual route -- 65 per cent, followed by blood transfusion -- 15 per cent, prenatal -- 3 per cent, and by injection -- 1 per cent and by other means --16 per cent.

The draft strategy document goes on to assert that "the uncertain gains of the malaria and tuberculosis programmes and the certain advances that have been made in leprosy and polio have been more than offset by the high number of HIV cases", with the maximum AIDS cases being detected in Indore and Ujjain districts.

The situation of women and the girl child is distinctly worse in Madhya Pradesh, the draft strategy document points out, and goes on to highlight that women have a limited role in key decisions related to maternal and child health as only 37 per cent of women take decisions affecting their health care and only 24 per cent of women discuss family planning with their husbands or anybody else.

The key strategies to combat HIV in the State include targeted interventions aimed at reducing the spread of HIV in groups at high risk by providing peer counseling and condom promotion.

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