AIDS in Punjab. Ludhiana

[Guest guest]

AIDS and Punjab-I, HIV bomb ticking in Ludhiana

Naveen S Garewal. Tribune News Service. Ludhiana, November 20: Ludhiana —

India's most innovative city, known throughout the world for its ingenuity — is

making news for all the wrong reasons.

The number of suspected and confirmed HIV positive cases here has puts the city

into a category that can be classified as the one facing an " HIV epidemic " . The

first-ever survey conducted to ascertain the extent of HIV infection in the

region puts the city

high up in the list. The exact position will however be known after

the results of the survey are tabulated later this month.

Initial results are very disturbing as the city has scored very high

in terms of prevalence of HIV among the Intravenous Drug Users (IDUs)

and Commercial Sex Workers (CSWs). This town reportedly has the

largest number of CSWs in the state.

Investigations by The Tribune have revealed that free exchange of

needles by drugs users and unabated prostitution in more than half a

dozen localities has accelerated the spread of the disease. Apart

from industrial workers, many migrant workers visiting these CSWs

have tested positive.

The first case of HIV was diagnosed in India in 1986. But 20-years

later, Punjab has no idea about the extent of spread of the infection

among its people. Punjab recently has participated in the ongoing

NACO -sponsored sentinel surveillance that collected blood samples to

test the HIV virus among the high-risk population. After the results

are compiled later this month, for the first time authentic data will

be available on HIV/AIDS-infected persons in the state.

The situation can be gauged from the fact that out of 48 blood

samples taken from IDUs in Ludhiana, 16 have tested positive. As per

NACO and UNAIDS guidelines, in random sampling if more than 5 per

cent cases are reported in the high-risk category and over 1 per cent

in general population the situation can be termed as an epidemic.

According to unofficial results, Ludhiana is heading to be the first

city in the state to achieve this dubious distinction.

Social workers like Mr Paramjit Singh, working for an NGO in the

city, that spreads awareness about the disease feels that over 30 per

cent of the 400 CSWs, whose blood samples have been taken, are likely

to test positive because of their association with people known to

carry the HIV virus. The city has a large number of CSWs who are also

IDUs and share needles with the group that have been detected HIV

positive.

Areas around Rahon Road and Jamalpur abound with CSWs, who charge

prices ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 200. In an impromptu interaction,

Nita (name changed), a CSW said, " Frequent holding of camps by NGOs

have made other CSW marginally aware of the disease. Many women have

no knowledge of the disease, and willingly accept clients who do not

wish to use a condom for an extra charge of Rs 50 " , she said.

The seriousness of the problem can be gauged from the fact that the

Punjab State AIDS Control Society had asked a local NGO to identify

40 IDUs, 250 CSWs and 20 MSM (men having sex with men) over a period

of three-months . In less than 2 months, the NGO had identified 256

CSWs, 54 IDUs and spotted many more who are willing to acknowledge

their activities. Incidentally, contrary to belief, the number of

MSMs in the city appears to be lower than the expected figures. It is

now known that 16 out of 48 IDUs have tested HIV positive, for 7 out

of 21 MSM and nearly 25 per cent of the 256 CSWs tested are likely to

be HIV positive.

Examples cited by workers from NGOs, who did not wish to be named,

revealed that it was generally the men who took to drugs to escape

problems of life. Once addicted, they become incapable of supporting

their families and in order to feed children, the women take to

prostitution. In some cases, the women too get hooked on to drugs to

escape from reality. HIV IDUs infect other IDUs, when they share

needles. Once these IDUs get intoxicated, they visit CSWs and infect

them. At some level they are interacting with one another.

Among the group of IDUs that are high up on the list of HIV infected,

there is a 12-year-old and two 14-year olds, who are addicted to two

doses of drugs - a combination of avil and morphine(12mg) or an equal

strength of diazepam. Once the test results of 356 samples taken

earlier this month are available, those who test HIV positive will be

put to CD 4 testing to determine their AIDS status. So far, health

authorities are unaware if there is any full blown case of AIDS in

the city or in its vicinity.

In the past 2 months 23 HIV/AIDS awareness camps have been held in

the city's high prevalence areas like Chauni Mohalla, vicinity of

Chand Cinema, Shimla Puri, Jawhar Nagar, Bus Stand, Dr. Ambedkar

Nagar, Samrala Chowk, Transport Chowk, Tajpur Road, Tibba Road,

Sherpur by-pass etc. Around 400 CSWs so far have been identified.

There are many like Bhagat (name changed), whose only vocation is to

act like a pimp and solicit clients for their wives, daughters and

even sisters. According to Rajan (name changed), a social worker,

actively involved with an NGO says that roughly 40 per cent CSWs use

the services of procuress or male pimps due to competition.

The relationship between IDUs, CSWs and HIV is well established. Yet

despite being illegal, many small shops openly sell drugs in the

city. A particular shop on the Tajpur Road makes avil, morphine

combination and makes it available along with a syringe and a needle

for Rs 35 right under the nose of the police deployed outside the

shop. Incidentally, the Tajpur police station too is near by.

Connivance or indifference? In either case it has put the city to

deep trouble.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20061121/main6.htm

________________

Dr. Avnish Jolly <avnishjolly@...>

[Guest guest]

Greetings.

I appreciate Mr. Naveen S Garewal for his excellent work on collection the data

and facts and passing them to the conscious readers. Please convey my best

wishes to him.

Please convey my request to Mr. Naveen S Garewal 'try to not to use the sentence

like " making new for all the wrong reasons " . I would like to request to Mr.

Garewal, being a part of this society, and a responsible citizen of this

society, please write every thing with positive attitude if he wants to make a

change in positive direction such as “Need of Counseling and Awareness Program”.

Please say “Glass adha Bhara hua hai” (The Glass is half filled) in stead of

“Glass adha khali hai” (The Glass is half emplty).

Thanks,

Dhananjay

e-mail: <dhananjay_kumarsinha@...>