Nipping HIV in Bud
Nagaland Economic Survey 2023-24 published by the Department of Economics and Statistics has reported that the state’s HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate stands at 1.36 per cent, against the national prevalence rate of 0.2 per cent, while the state’s general population prevalence rate is 1.61%.
- In a chilling revelation, the Nagaland Economic Survey
2023-24 published by the Department of Economics and Statistics has reported
that the state’s HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate stands at 1.36 per cent,
against the national prevalence rate of 0.2 per cent, while the state’s general
population prevalence rate is 1.61%. Details of the survey reveal more than
33,000 persons tested positive for HIV out of over 3.19 lakh screenings made
from 2006 to 2023. It went on to reveal that 1.17 per cent of the total blood
samples tested during 2023-24 were tested positive for HIV, while around 2.06%
of children under the age of 14 years, whose blood was screened during the same
period, were tested positive for the virus. And there could be many unaccounted
cases. It may be mentioned that most north-eastern states, particularly
Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur and Meghalaya, have a high adult HIV prevalence rate
despite a high literacy rate, pointing to possible underlying social and
economic factors that could have triggered this trend in the region. This is a
matter of grave concern that should be nipped in the bud. It is reported that
the main modes of transmission are unprotected sex, mother to child, and
sharing of syringes among drug users. Besides aggressive awareness campaigns
targeting vulnerable groups and rural areas, the authorities should not
undermine socio-economic factors if it is serious about arresting this alarming
trend.
- At the national level, India is said to be making notable
progress in tackling HIV/AIDS. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said
last year that the country has recorded a 44 per cent reduction in HIV
infections since 2010, against the global reduction rate of 39 per cent. While
this is impressive, achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 is going to be quite a
task because of the fact that the country has over 2.5 million people still
living with the virus. However, it is not unachievable either. What is required
in order to meet the SDGs is a significant reduction in infections, diagnosis
through testing and accessible quality treatment to patients. Special emphasis
should be given to states with high HIV prevalence rate. However, all efforts, including
prevention and control programmes introduced by the government of India, will
go to waste if social stigma and discrimination against people living with the
virus are allowed to thrive. Social support is necessary to eradicate this
disease.
