India now has the highest number of people living with HIV/AIDS

[Guest guest]

UNAIDS Statement: Thnumber of HIV cases highest in India

Its 25 years since the deadly AIDS epidemic has erupted in the world and two

decades after India reported first HIV/AIDS cases, but the jugglery of numbers

regarding HIV/AIDS continues. Last two days Indian newspaper and news channel

are carrying the news that India now has the highest number of people living

with HIV. According to the 2006 Report on Global AIDS Epidemic, India had 5.7

million cases of HIV by the end of 2005, against 5.5 million in South Africa.

However, there is nothing new in this statement except that it has

created a fresh bout of panic and controversy – India has been ˜Numero Uno

since 1996 itself - not because of its high HIV rates, but merely because of its

population size!

India's number one position in HIV numbers has something to do with

'Canada' ! Moreover, surprisingly such statements come from outside India.

The fresh estimates have been declared on the eve of the 16th Intl. AIDS

Conference is slated to be held in Toronto, Canada in August 2006. At the 11th

Intl. AIDS Conference held in Vancouver, Canada in 1996, the same UNAIDS chief

Dr. Piot made a scathing statement, even at the most conservative estimate,

India is the country with the largest number of HIV-infected people in the world

with more than 4 million casesâ€. Then it was promptly supported

by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), but not this time.

In the records of UNAIDS as also other global agencies, India maintained number

one position till the year 2000. Just prior to the 13th Intl. AIDS Conference

scheduled for July 2000 in Durban, South Africa, in a political game-plan the

UNAIDS made South Africa number one and Indian number two, by manipulation of

HIV figures, in order to give importance to the AIDS scenario in South Africa.

Indi's estimates were brought down from 5 million to 4.7 million and South

African figures were increased from 4.7 million to 5.2 million. It was accepted

by the NACO as it was convenient then.

Since then India's HIV growth has been shown from 4.7 million to 4.86 million

(2001), 4.97 million (2002). Only in 2003 it was shown crossing the magic figure

of 5 million. Till May 30, 2006, the HIV numbers for India for 2005 were at 5.2

million, but now it is 5.7 million!

The UNAIDS explanation is that till now numbers were estimated for 15-49 age

group and for the first time the numbers of children

below 15 years and adults above 45 years were added, so an addition of 0.5

million infections! When we always talked about HIV numbers for India for its

entire population, can anybody explain why it was never clarified that the

numbers were for 15-49 age groups?

In responding to the impending AIDS crisis, after the unusually prolonged

initial phases of denial, complacency and blaming others, India has barely

entered the phase of realistic planning and implementation with fullest

political will to contain HIV/AIDS and the number game starts again. There is a

famous German saying – ‘the statistics do not make you cry and the figures

do not make you laugh’. It’s the human suffering that will startle

the people. This controversy about the 'number-game' has fuelled wide-ranging

reactions, discussions and editorials once again. It is totally irrational on

the part of UNAIDS to compare India with South Africa; the Population of India

is over 1 billion and that of SA is 47 million; there is a vast difference

between two cultures. While in South Africa - both men and women are polygamous,

in India largely women are monogamous. Even in the worst case scenario, India

can never become Africa vis-Ã -vis HIV/AIDS, hence we should

stop comparing the two diverse populations.

Dr.I.S.Gilada,

Hon. Secretary;

Peoples Health Organisation (India) & AIDS Society of India

Municipal School Building, J.J. Hospital Compd, Mumbai-400008

Tel.+91-22-23719020; 23061616 Fax: 23000016 E-mail: ihoaids@...

PRESS RELEASE/ AIDS Numbers June 1, 2006