“The state, as of today, has 3,492 HIV positive patients. In the past six months from April 1 to October 31, when 53,405 people volunteered for HIV tests at 35 voluntary counselling and testing centres (VCTC), 253 new cases were detected in the state, 43 in Kashmir and 210 in the Jammu region,” said Dr Rakesh Khajuria, Project Director of the J&K State AIDS Prevention and Control Society.
Dr Khajuria called it an achievement of society in bringing the hidden disease to the surface.
The state had 1,410 HIV positive patients in 2007, 1,594 in 2008, 1,811 in 2009, 2,300 in 2010, 3,213 in 2011 and the figure rose to 3,492 till October 31 this year.
Despite an increase in the number of HIV patients, Jammu and Kashmir is still considered a low prevalence state in the country.
A sentinel survey in 2010-11 had estimated 5,400 HIV patients in the state.
“We have detected nearly 3,500 cases, which means the remaining cases are hidden and need to be brought to the fore for proper support and care,” Dr Khajuria said.
He said a similar nationwide sentinel survey had estimated the figure of HIV positive patients at 2.4 million, out of which 15 lakh have been detected so far.
“In other words, 9 lakh HIV carriers still remain hidden across the country,” he said.
He said the state had 2,865 HIV patients in pre-anti retiroviral therapy centres in Srinagar and Jammu.
“Out of 2,865 such patients, 1,095 are presently on anti-retiroviral therapy – 966 in Jammu and 129 in Kashmir,” he said.
Dr Khajuria said society had initiated sustained campaigns to create awareness among people.
With the help of NGOs we are also giving focused attention under targeted intervention projects to high risk groups like sex workers, intravenous drug users, truckers, migrant labourers and tourists.
In 2009, Jammu and Kashmir had topped the national charts in creating awareness among the people about HIV.
(TNS)
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