E-Paper
Ludhiana has most HIV cases among drug users in Punjab
IDUs have come to make for most of the HIV patients reported in the Ludhiana district over the last 15 years; in 2012, only 12% of reported patients were IDUs; the number rose to 59% in 2024
The district topped the state in the number of intravenous drug users (IDUs) in HIV patients reported in 2023 and 2024 according to the data collected by the Punjab State Aids Control Society (PSACS).
In 2022-23, the district saw 2,092 cases of which 1,704 were IDUs, and in 2023-24, out of the 2,141 cases reported, 1,755 were IDUs.
The distant second was Bathinda with 1,295 IDU HIV cases in 2022-23 and 1,142 cases in 2023-24.
IDUs have also come to make for most of the HIV patients reported in the district over the last 15 years. In 2012, only 12% of reported patients were IDUs. The number rose to 59% in 2024.
The state recorded 12,507 HIV positive cases in 2022-23 of which 8,932 were IDUs. In 2023-24, the state saw 13,780 cases of which 10,110 were IDUs.
“There is a significant increase in people getting infected with HIV due to the sharing of unsterilised needles. Earlier, the perception was that main reason for getting infected with the virus was indulging in sexual activities without protection. But now the trend has changed. Intravenous drug use has emerged as the biggest reason for HIV,” said senior medical officer, PSACS, Dr Bobby Gulati.
He called for a policy targeting intravenous drug use to mitigate the problem.
“There must be a policy targeting intravenous drug use which should bring together health officials, administration, and the civil society,” he said.
He also emphasised that the use of intravenous drug use as the leading cause of HIV should be a major talking point in the discussion around drug abuse.
‘NGOs provided with needles for distribution among drug users’
The government runs a programme, “Target intervention project for HIV AIDS preventions”, which includes providing needles to non-government organisations (NGOs) for distribution among drug users to prevent the spread of diseases caused by using shared unsterilised needles.
“In 2008, the government declared that if we can’t control drug menace, we can at least ensure that drug users don’t get infected with diseases like HIV-AIDS, HVC, and HCB. So, under this programme, we are given needles for distribution. Drug users register with us, and we provide them with needles,” said Dr Inderjit Dhingra, who runs Dr Kotnis Acupuncture Hospital and Education Centre.
According to Dr Dhingra, the problem is due to a lack of awareness about the programme in new addicts.
“The new addicts aren’t aware that they can get these needles from us and therefore keep sharing them instead,” he said.
“Whenever an addict approaches the NGO to register for the programme, we get them tested for HIV. Over the years, there has been an increase in the number of addicts turning out as HIV positive,” he added.
