Not satisfied with ‘incomplete’ data on HIV/AIDS affected people in India, as it had no reference to homosexuals, the Supreme Court on Thursday asked the government to submit fresh details on LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) persons separately.
The court sought separate LGBT data as the three-page report of the National AIDS Control Organisation, which functions under the health ministry, estimated the HIV/AIDS affected population at 23.9 lakhs, going by 2009 data.
Of this, 9.3 lakhs were women and 3.5 lakhs children below 15. It said Andhra Pradesh had the highest number of affected people (five lakhs), followed by Maharasthra (4.2 lakhs), Karnataka (2.5 lakhs) and Tamil Nadu (1.5 lakh). These four states together account for 55 per cent of HIV/AIDS affected people in India.
West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh had over one lakh each, while Punjab, Odhisha, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh had between 50,000 and one lakh each.