The Day brings to surface good and bad news for India
The Day brings to surface good and bad news for India
A drop in patients seeking HIV testing makes this years World AIDS Day all the more timely in India in raising awareness about the disease and removing stigma, say officials.
The number of people seeking testing at one particular specialist organisation has dropped from 5,890 in 2008 to 2,565 this year. These numbers reveal that India might be getting complacent about the huge impact that HIV/AIDS can have on the community.
According to the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) 2.27 million people in India are HIV positive. "Stigma has come down a lot in the last few years," said Sharada Naik, asisstant director, Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society. She added, "We have set up awareness campaigns in colleges and other programs and education strategies."
Programmes galore
There are many events being planned in the city to mark the day. There will be a walkathon from the Centre for Management Studies, Jain University to Bannappa Park Assembly.
There will also be a street play performed on the Prevention of HIV/AIDS at the Mysore Bank Road in front of Ulsoor gate police station, and at Bannappa Park.
Bangalore has the highest concentration of AIDS cases in Karnataka, with an alarming amount of cases found in antenatal clinic attendees.
There are also some groups that display higher numbers than most, with the average HIV prevalence among female sex workers in Karnataka just over 5 per cent, and 17.6 per cent of homosexuals.
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