India’s ignorance about HIV/AIDS concerns Union Health Minister

New Delhi – India must wake up to the growing challenge posed by HIV/AIDS and be well informed about how it is transmitted, India's health minister, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss, has said.

Speaking to the media on the eve of World AIDS Day, the Union Health Minister expressed his concern about the ignorance of the people in India about the dangers posed by the dreaded disease.

He also admitted that the official figure of AIDS reported cases in India could be far short of the real number of infections.

“The problem we have in some of the states is that the surveillance is not there at the public or government level,” he said. “I am definitely concerned.”

The Union Health Minister hoped that a new count in 2006 would give a more accurate picture

According to conservative estimates, in India there are about 5.13 million people affected by HIV/AIDS. Globally, India is second only to South Africa in terms of the overall number of people living with the dreaded disease. However, non–government organizations (NGOs) and UNAIDS, the U.N.'s anti–AIDS agency, claim that the figure is too low as many cases go unreported, especially in the rural areas.

“I am sure there will be people missed out in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan and the northeast," Dr. Ramadoss said, referring to some of the most populous states.

The latest UN report has stated that AIDS reported cases are highest in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka followed by the Northeastern states where the incidence of drug abuse is high.

Dr. Ramadoss also admitted that India had missed her target of treating 100,000 HIV–positive people with anti–retroviral (ARV) drugs by mid–2004. Only 15,000 people had received government–funded treatment so far.

“We are trying our best ... we expect in the next six months to reach our target of 100,000,” he said.