8,400 HIV cases in Puducherry

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8,400 HIV cases in Puducherry

Wednesday October 4 2006 00:00 IST

PUDUCHERRY: Puducherry has 8,400 cases of HIV positive persons, as

per available statistics, and four times the number are vulnerable

to HIV infection, said Lieutenant Governor Mukut Mithi.

Inaugurating a campaign against HIV/AIDS in colleges and accessing

safe blood in the Union Territory on Tuesday, he said, " India, with

1/7th of the world population, had 57 lakhs of HIV positive cases.

Of these, 50 percent are females and 1.2 lakh are children. " The

prevalence of AIDS amongst children is a disconcerting factor that

needs to be redressed, he added.

He said that it was estimated that 25 percent of the world's AIDS

cases were in their twenties and could have been infected with the

virus during their adolescent period. " A government study concludes

that about 10 percent of the HIV infections are due to taking blood

and using infected surgical instruments and needles, " said Mukut

Mithi.

He said the spread of HIV had the potential to create a panic in the

global economy, which could lead to economic chaos.

" Foreign companies primarily invest in India because of the

availability of labour at a low cost. With billions of dollars

investment pouring into the economy, any adverse changes will have

severe implication on our economy, " the Lieutenant Governor said.

He said fear and ignorance have compounded to the difficulty in

controlling the spread of virus and discrimination against those

infected.

" The World Bank report mentions that as per a survey, 3/4th of the

country's population still believe that they could contract HIV by

sharing a meal with an infected person. Such misconceptions can only

be eliminated from the minds of people through intensive awareness

campaigns, " he said.

To curb the spread of diseases like HIV/AIDS and other diseases like

tuberculosis and hepatitis, it was important to address issues like

poverty and improve the social conditions of women.

In his presidential address, Chief Minister N Rangasamy said, " NGOs

should get involved in awareness programmes to control the spread of

the disease. "

Minister for Health E Valsaraj said that in the Indian scenario,

with varied cultural characteristics, traditions and values,

especially sex-related risk behaviour, it was difficult to assess

the prevalence of HIV exactly.

Sentinel surveillance monitoring the trends of HIV infection in

specific high groups as well as in low risk groups was taken up.

" AIDS related stigma and discrimination are in many shapes and forms

touching the fields of education, employment, health and hygiene, "

he said adding, " The AIDS-infected hit the social status,

productivity, economy besides being a challenge to the health

service providers. "

Chief Secretary Pradip Mehara, MLA from Nellithoppe constituency Om

Sakthi Sekar, Secretary of Department of Health T.M. Balakrishanan

also spoke on the occasion. Dilip Kumar Baliga, Director of Health

and Family Welfare Services welcomed

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