HIV – Not A Global Pandemic
Posted on June 10, 2008 in Current Affairs by Danteshwari
The possibility of a global Aids pandemic occurring outside Africa is receding. Large population in India and China are at a lesser risk of being exposed to the increased manifestation of the disease. The World Health Organization for the first time has stated that a worldwide heterosexual pandemic may not occur and that there has a been change in the attitude towards the risk faced by AIDS.
A decade back, HIV was considered to be a potential risk for many people all over. Now, experts hold the view that outside the purview of sub-Saharan Africa, the disease was mostly confined to groups that were at higher risk, such as men having sexual intercourse with men, sex workers, drug users who were injected.
Dr. Kevin de Cock, world- renowned epidemiologist as well as the head of the HIV/AIDS department, WHO, feels that an African type of situation will not develop in India. He favored massive investments in the education of those who were at risk of HIV/AIDS, rather than focusing upon HIV/AIDS program in a school.
Around 2.45 million Indians suffer from HIV, with a prevalence rate of 0.36% in the general population. There are 2 lakh IUDs in India. More than 20 % of them are HIV positive mainly due to sharing of contaminated needles. There are also 2.5 million MSMs who suffer from infection rates as high as 16%.
Critics of the Global Aids strategy felt that large amounts were being spent in educating those who were not at risk of contaminating the disease. It would be better to target groups, which were more vulnerable.
A view held is that UNAIDS had intentionally exaggerated the size and trend of the pandemic. Also, it had hyped risk potential of HIV in general population, giving an impression that almost every person was at a risk. This led to more money being spent on AIDS rather than on other serious illnesses. HIV/AIDS is more concentrated in six states of India – Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland and Karnataka.
Infection rates have increased among women who do not have much access
to financial, human and economic assets. This lessens their chances of ensuring safer sex outside as well as within marriage.
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