Bihar: AIDS threat 5 times higher than estimated

[Guest guest]

AIDS threat 5 times higher than estimated

Radhika D Srivastava

[Thursday, February 09, 2006 01:52:30 am TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]

PATNA: Recent surveys have shown the HIV prevalence rate in Bihar to

be about five times higher than what was believed all this while.

Eight populous districts in the state have been found grappling with

an HIV epidemic with alarmingly high prevalence rates.

Till now, the state government depended on the National Aids Control

Organisation's prevalence rate of 0.13 per cent for the state.

But two surveys conducted by the Bihar State Aids Control Society

(BSACS) in all 38 districts in July 2005 and December 2005 have

found the rate to be 0.53 per cent. All those detected HIV positive

are in the age group of 25 to 45 years.

Bihar State health secretary Deepak Kumar told TOI: " Our prevalence

rates compare with some of the other high risk states in the country

Till now everybody thought HIV was not a problem in Bihar. We plan

to concentrate on the high-prevalence districts to spread greater

awareness about HIV-AIDS. "

Expressing fear that the state is on the brink of an epidemic, a

senior BSACS official said: " The rate at which the infection is

spreading, very soon it may cross the one per cent prevalence rate. "

He added that the surveys were conducted among the general

population. " We deliberately chose the remotest of villages in every

district to get genuine figures among the rural population.

Samples found positive were tested two more times before

confirming, " the official said. " While the overall situation in the

state is a matter of concern, we are extremely worried about the

eight districts in which the prevalence rates are above one per

cent, " he added.

The official said: " The high prevalence rates are a direct fallout

of the extreme poverty in these districts and the high migration

rates.

Due to lack of employment opportunities, most men in rural Bihar

migrate to Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra and other states to

work as labourers and most likely spread the infection to their

wives in the villages. "

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1407037,curpg-

3.cms