The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Prevalence of HIV high in East Godavari

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Wednesday, Dec 31, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Prevalence of HIV high in East Godavari

Staff Reporter

Kakinada: As East Godavari achieved the dubious distinction of being one of the six districts where the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is much higher than the State average of 0.88 per cent, the AP State AIDS Control Society (APSACS) has decided to set up a District AIDS Prevention and Control Unit (DAPSU) for implementing a district-specific plan from 2009-10. The objective of DAPSU is to prevent the situation from worsening from the present ‘concentrated epidemic’ to ‘general epidemic’ stage. West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam and Srikakulam are the other districts where HIV/AIDS has reached alarming proportions.

The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in East Godavari district increased from 1.25 per cent in 2006 to 1.75 per cent last year with the commercial sex workers (CSW) accounting for a substantial rise from 8.25 per cent to 15.6 per cent during the same period. ‘Traditional sex centres’ are major contributors to the situation which has been described by APSACS director R.V. Chandravadan as alarming.

Addressing a press conference at the Government General Hospital (GGH) here on Tuesday, Mr. Chandravadan said APSACS has felt the need for a district-specific plan to properly deal with the local causative factors, contrary to what it (APSACS) has done all these years at the macro (State) level.

East Godavari district has ‘high prevalence pockets’ of Gokavaram, Mandapeta, Pratthipadu and Tuni where the floating populations are very high. Besides, Peddapuram and some other places are traditional sex centres from where the disease was obviously spreads to other vulnerable sections/areas on a large scale.

The APSACS is also identifying private diagnostic laboratories for the purpose of conducting HIV/AIDS tests.

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