There is a good news, India’s AIDS figures have further fallen down. The new HIV estimations for 2012 suggest that there has been a reduction of 57 per cent HIV cases during the last decade from 2.74 lakhs in 2000 to 1.16 lakhs in 2011.
The new estimates released by Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday also indicate an overall continuing reduction in adult HIV prevalence, new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths in India. While there were 22,52,253 people living with HIV in 2007, the numbers went down to 2,88,642 in 2011. The number of deaths due to the deadly virus also dipped from 2,06,671 annually to 1,47,729 annual deaths in 2011.
Estimates of the prevalence of the infection among adults (15-49 years) also came down from 0.33 per cent in 2007 to 0.27 per cent in 2011.
“Adult HIV prevalence among males and females is estimated at 0.32% and 0.22% respectively,” says the new report.
According to the report, the number of adult new HIV infections dropped from 1,23,890 in 2007 to 1,16,456 in 2011.
“The adult HIV prevalence at national level has continued its steady decline from estimated level of 0.41% in 2001 through 0.35% in 2006 to 0.27% in 2011,” the report further said.
In certain North Indian states, the report blames possible role of “migration” in fuelling HIV epidemics.
Of the total number of infected people, children account for 7% of all infections, while 86% are in the age –group of 15-49 years.
Of all HIV infections, 39% (8.16 lake) are among women, says the report.
It is estimated that around 1.16 lake new HIV infections among adults and around 14,500 new infections among children occurred during 2011.