AIDS cases in Karnataka on the rise: Report

October 31, 2004

Nupur Basu. Sunday, October 31, 2004 (Bangalore):

For the first time evidence on the ground is showing that AIDS cases

in rural Karnataka are on an upswing.

NDTV has obtained a copy of a recent survey conducted by the State

AIDS Cell, which shows a huge spurt in AIDS cases in North Karnataka's

districts.

The report will soon be made public.

The report found that of the 21534 cases tested for HIV among women in

ante-natal clinics and first referral centres in different districts

in the state, 327 were positive, that is 1:52 per cent.

Alarming numbers

Of the 1750 persons from STD and gynae clinics, 277 were positive,

which is a whopping 15: 83 per cent.

In another survey among sex workers in Bangalore, 21:60 per cent were

positive, while it was 10 per cent among men having sex with men.

" The sentinel survey which has been conducted between July and

September 2004 has shown that the urban population has 1:61 HIV

percentage of positive and rural population is 1:46, " said T

Mukthamba, Director, State AIDS Cell.

Political will

Karnataka,Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland and

Maharashtra are the six hot spot states in India where the AIDS graph

has been rising and it needs a great deal more of political will to

ensure that this does not continue to happen.

" A rural area is always going to be suspect to infrastructure and

possibilities of interventions so the question is how are we going to

deal with the epidemic in these states, " said Dr Ashok K Rau, CEO,

Freedom Foundation.

Karnataka already has five to six lakh HIV positive persons

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