HIV/AIDS in India
[1] Despite being home to the world's third-largest population of persons with HIV/AIDS (as of 2023[update], with South Africa and Nigeria having more),[2] the AIDS prevalence rate in India is lower than that of many other countries.
The main factors which have contributed to India's large HIV-infected population are extensive labour migration and low literacy levels in certain rural areas resulting in a lack of awareness and in gender disparities.
[4][5] According to Avert,[6] the statistics for special populations in 2007 are as follows: Note: Some areas in the above table report an HIV prevalence rate of zero in antenatal clinics.
This does not necessarily mean HIV is absent from the area, as some states report the presence of the virus at STD clinics and among intravenous drug users.
In some states and union territories, the average antenatal HIV prevalence is based on reports from only a small number of clinics.
[9] According to Michel Sidibé, executive director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), India's success comes from using an evidence-informed and human rights-based approach that is backed by sustained political leadership and civil society engagement.
[10] A 2012 UNAIDS report lauded India for doing "particularly well" in halving the number of adults newly infected between 2000 and 2009 in contrast to some smaller countries in Asia.
In 2011 at Addis Ababa, the Government of India further committed to accelerating technology transfer between its pharmaceutical sector and African manufacturers.
All the 91 centres have trained doctors, counsellors and laboratory technicians to help initiate patients on ART and provide follow up care while protecting confidentiality.
Responding to a petition made by NGO's, in 2010, the Supreme Court of India directed the Indian government to provide second-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) to all AIDS patients in the country, and warned the government against abdicating its constitutional duty of providing treatment to HIV positive patients on grounds of financial constraint, as it was an issue of the right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.
[14][15][16] In 1986, the first known cases of HIV in India were diagnosed by Dr. Suniti Solomon and her student Dr. Sellappan Nirmala amongst six female sex workers in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
[citation needed] In 1986, the Government of India established the National AIDS Committee within the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
[22] The first phase was implemented from 1992 to 1999 and focused on monitoring HIV infection rates among high-risk populations in selected urban areas.
[19] In 1999, the second phase of the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP II) was introduced to decrease the reach of HIV by promoting behaviour change.
[19] A 2006 study published in the British medical journal The Lancet reported an approximately 30% decline in HIV infections from 2000 to 2004 among women aged 15 to 24 attending prenatal clinics in selected southern states of India, where the epidemic is thought to be concentrated.
[25] The third stage dramatically increased targeted interventions, aiming to halt and reverse the epidemic by integrating programmes for prevention, care, support, and treatment.
[19] Some efforts have been made to tailor educational literature to those with low literacy levels, mainly through readily accessible local libraries.
[19] Researchers at the Overseas Development Institute have called for greater attention to migrant workers, whose concerns about their immigration status may leave them particularly vulnerable.
[19] No agency is tasked with enforcing the non-discrimination policy; instead, a multisectoral approach has been developed involving awareness campaigns in the private sector.
A play titled High Fidelity Transmission by Rajesh Talwar[27] focused on discrimination, the importance of using a condom, and illegal testing of vaccines.
[3] The HIV/AIDS (Prevention and Control) Bill 2014, which sought to end stigma and discrimination against HIV positive persons in workplaces, hospitals and society while also ensuring patient privacy, was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on 11 February 2014,[36][37] and was passed on 21 March 2017.
[48] Due to the stigma surrounding HIV in India, children of HIV-infected parents are treated poorly and often do not have access to basic resources.
A study done by the Department of Rural Management in Jharkhand showed that 35% of children of HIV-infected adults were denied basic amenities.
[55] The Human Rights Watch has found many cases of sexual abuse among female AIDS orphans, which often result in trafficking and prostitution.
For example, orphans that have lost their father due to AIDS are often forced to take on high-risk field or manual labour jobs.
