Rallies, pledges mark World AIDS Day in India

New Delhi – Rallies, seminars, declarations and pledges marked the commemoration of World AIDS Day in India. According to conservative estimates, in India there are over 5 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.

In an attempt to create awareness among people about the dreaded disease, the UN has adopted December 1 as World AIDS Day and has selected "Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise" as the slogan for this year.

On December 1, in several cities and towns, women and children could be seen carrying placards and banners and distributing leaflets containing information about the killer virus.

Schoolchildren, health workers, rehabilitated drug users and HIV–positive people wearing red ribbons marched through the streets in several cities and towns of India.

In the northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura where the incidence of drug abuse and AIDS afflicted population are high, people were seen marching through the streets.

According to the latest UN report, AIDS reported cases are highest in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka followed by the Northeastern states.

However, in most of the states, the infection "appear to have stabilized,” the report noted.