MORE THAN one AIDS case per day has been reported from across Madhya Pradesh in the month of October 2006, even as the total number of cases has reached up to 1933, resulting in 122 deaths so far. And this is just the officially reported data!
The State recorded 32 AIDS cases in October – 22 males and 10 females — as per figures of the Madhya Pradesh State AIDS Control Society (MPSACS). Moreover, the total number of HIV-positive cases in the State has reached up to 8600 over the
years.
In all, 271 AIDS cases have been registered so far this year. While the monthly average was 27, in October, 32 cases were registered.
“Almost cent per cent HIV-positive cases get converted into AIDS over the years,’’ MPSACS Project Director Saleena Singh told the Hindustan Times on Thursday, the eve of World AIDS Day, 2006. Going by that, the number of AIDS patients in the State could easily shoot up to almost 10,000 in the coming 8-10 years – unless concerted efforts were put in place to check the spread, she added.
Since 1988 – when the first AIDS case was reported from MP - 122 patients have died of AIDS. Of the total AIDS cases, 1391 have been males while 542 have been females.
{{/usCountry}}Since 1988 – when the first AIDS case was reported from MP - 122 patients have died of AIDS. Of the total AIDS cases, 1391 have been males while 542 have been females.
{{/usCountry}}Western MP still remains to be the worst-hit by AIDS for past several years. As many as 523 AIDS cases have been detected from Indore, while Ujjain has recorded 322 cases. Jabalpur stands third with 116 cases while the State capital Bhopal has recorded 10 cases over the years.
People aged between 21 and 40 are most prone to getting affected by HIV/AIDS. Over the years, the deadly syndrome has afflicted 742 persons between the age of 21 and 30, and 750 persons in the 31-40 age group.
The most common way of the spread of AIDS still remains to be through irresponsible sexual contact. Of the 1933 cases reported from MP, 1296 have been through that mode, while 267 have been caused by transfusion of infected blood, 56 from mother to newborn child, and 21 through the sharing of infected syringes. The exact reason behind the remaining 293 AIDS cases is not known, according to MPSACS figures.
Meanwhile, as part of its efforts to create awareness about HIV/AIDS and their prevention, the MPSACS is resorting to certain innovative steps including the sensitisation of people’s representatives and vice-chancellors of universities, formation of Red Ribbon Clubs, and adult education programmes.
The driving force behind the idea is the notion that MLAs, panchayat representatives, corporators and V-Cs can act not only as effective sources of dissemination of information about HIV/AIDS but also impress upon a larger audience – particularly youngsters who are the most prone to getting infected — by means of their reach in the public domains.
Several such sensitisation workshops were conducted throughout November in the entire State. District Collectors were made the nodal officers while officials from the MPSACS disseminated information to public representatives. “Even the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) has lauded MPSACS efforts and instructed other states to follow suit,’’ Saleena Singh said.