New Trends of HIV infection in Manipur

Romeo Gangmei *

30th International AIDS Candlelight Memorial at JN Dance Academy Hall, DM College Campus, Imphal on May 19 2013 :: Pix - Deepak Oinam

Manipur state with hardly 0.2% of India's population is contributing nearly 8% of India's total HIV positive cases. That means Manipur become the second highest concentration of HIV infection in the country.

To mention with the first HIV positive case in Manipur was reported in February 1990 with the blood samples of 1989 among Injecting Drug Users (IDUs). There after State AIDS policy was first being adopted in 3rd October 1996 and then Manipur State AIDS Control Society (MACS) was formed and registered in March 1998. Since then various HIV prevention projects and programme has been undertaken and still undertaking to halt HIV infection and stigma in the state.

Henceforth, Society for Promotion of Youth & Masses (SPYM) a Delhi based organization lunched innovative scheme known as Link Worker Scheme (LWS) in Manipur under National AIDS Control Society (NACO) funded by Global Fund (GF) at two districts namely Churachanpur and Ukhrul as first phase in the year 2009.

Later, in the second phase all the remaining seven districts of Manipur, namely Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Chandel, Senapati and Tamenglong have implemented LWS in the year 2011.

The LWS has selected hundred villages in each district with an objective to reach out to far-flunk village population by conducting referral and linkages activities to nearest available service centres for HIV prevention and treatment activities. One could see clearly the HIV transmission trends of Manipur from the given below two years data.

In the project year 2011-2012, a total number of 6032 clients have been registered for HIV test at Integrated Counselling Testing Centre (ICTC) under Link Worker scheme. Out of which 62 were found reactive cases.

Among those 62 reactive cases, 29 clients were found among High Risk Group (HRG)
i.e. Injecting Drug User (IDU),
Female Sex Worker (FSW) and
Man Sex with Man (MSM),
23 reactive clients belong to Vulnerable Youth,
8 reactive clients belong to Truckers and Migrant population and
one each among Pregnant Woman and Orphan Vulnerable Children (OVC).

Out of 62 new reactive cases 30 clients that means nearly half the clients were detected from Churachanpur district alone.

In the project year 2012-2013, a total number of 12705 clients have been registered for HIV test at ICTC under Link Worker scheme. Out of which 53 were found reactive cases.

Among those 53 reactive cases
15 reactive clients were found among Vulnerable Youth
14 reactive clients belong to HRG,
7 reactive clients belong to Truckers and Migrant population
and 5 clients among OVC
and 2 reactive clients among Pregnant Woman.

Out of 53 reactive cases 10 clients each were detected from Ukhrul and Thoubal districts.

During these two project years' data, one could reveal that HIV infection among Vulnerable Youth is increasing year by year. Previously HIV infection was commonly found among IDU population in Manipur but now the trends of HIV infection has shifted to Vulnerable Youth which means it has spreads among general population that too in far-flunk villages. This is a big alarm for all individual and for those concern citizens.

The main result behind it could be due to unsafe sex practice among youth might become a major mode of HIV transmission in Manipur state. That means HIV has spread among general population and reaches even to the most remote areas of Manipur.