World Aids Day: AP sees 13,815 HIV cases this year

Vijayawada: Even though the government has been implementing a number of AIDS control programmes, 13,815 new Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) positive cases were detected across the State in 2022.

With these new cases, the number of HIV/AIDS patients had mounted to around 3.21 lakh in the State.

However, the number of people infected and the number of people dying from AIDS have dropped significantly. The positivity rate was 6.74% in the State in 2010 and now it decreased to 0.87% in the general population. The State has established many service centres in order to prevent the HIV/AIDS positive cases.

Besides, the government is implementing adolescent and youth focused programmes, care-support and treatment services, antiretroviral treatment centres and blood transfusion services for controlling HIV. On the other hand, the State government set a target to make Andhra Pradesh an AIDS-free State in a few years.

The State registered another 13,815 new HIV cases in 2022. The authorities tested 23,57,260 patients and identified that 13,815 persons were infected with HIV. East Godavari (combined) district recorded maximum number of 1,926 cases. Likewise, 1878 new cases were detected in Guntur, 1,697 cases in Krishna, 1,218 cases in West Godavari, 1,221 cases in Visakhapatnam, 1,182 cases in Prakasam, 918 cases in Kurnool, 848 cases in Anantapur, 775 cases in Chittoor and 708 cases in Nellore district have been reported. Likewise, 588 new cases in Kadapa, 432 HIV cases in Srikakulam and 424 cases in Vizianagaram have been reported. According to the Medical and Health Department data, there are total 3,21,028 people HIV positive cases in the State.

On the other hand, the State government is implementing a number of programmes and activities, with the support of Central government, international and national organisations, national, State-level and local NGOs networks to control the HIV infections. The government established 45 anti-retroviral treatment centres in the government hospitals and eight PPP anti-retroviral centres for providing free ART medicines to patients.

At present more than 2, 09,888 patients are receiving ART medicines in the State, and the rest are taking homeopathy and other medicines. The government also is providing 19,912 ART pensions through YSR Pension Kanuka and 94,250 new applications are awaiting government approval.

Andhra Pradesh AIDS Control Society (APSACS) project director GS Naveen Kumar said that the government has been taking all the measures to control HIV in the State.

He said that HIV cases have been declining in the State since 2015. He said that HIV positivity rate decreased from 6.74 % ( 2010-11) to 0.87 % (2002-23) and decreased from 0.46% to 0.05% in ANC (pregnant women).