HIV transmission rate stands at 12.8 pc
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 21 2014 :
HIV transmission rate among injecting drug users (IDUs) of the State stands at 12.8 per cent well above the all India figure of 9 percent, according to the Sentinel Surveillance Report (Prevalence)
2010 .
This is despite the fact that various targeted intervention (TI) programmes are being taken up under NACO for the last 20 years with the objective of bringing down HIV transmission rate among IDUs to 5 per cent.
Nonetheless, transmission rate of 12.8 per cent is the lowest in the last 16 years.
Corresponding figures of HIV transmission rate among IDUs in Manipur are 55.7 pc in 1994, 54.19 pc in 1995, 64.13 pc in 1996, 76.6 in 1997, 67.63 pc in 1998 (February to March), 72.78 pc in 1998 (August to September), 55.48pc in 1999, 66.02 pc in 2000, 65.27 pc in 2001, 39.57 pc in 2002, 30.7 pc in 2003, 21 pc in 2004, 24.1 pc in 2005, 19.8 pc in 2006, 17.9 pc in 2007, 28.65 pc in 2008 and 12.8 pc in 2010 .
Sentinel Surveillance Report (Prevalence) for 2009 is not available.
Speaking to The Sangai Express, Manipur State AIDS Control Society (MSACS) Deputy Director (TI) Abhiram maintained that though the target of bringing down HIV transmission among IDUs to 5 per cent could not be achieved, bringing down the rate to 12.8 per cent is still a commendable success.
It is estimated that there are around 20,000 IDUs in Manipur and in order to bring down the rate of HIV transmission among IDUs to 5 per cent, and also to reduce health risks faced by them, a number of TI programmes are being implemented.
Manipur, at present, has 74 TI sites.
IDUs are given syringes and medical treatment from time to time at these TI sites, Abhiram said.
With a view to reduce health problems, family problems, social problems faced by IDUs and control their tendency to violate law and order, around 1440 IDUs are given treatment at 11 OST (Opioid Substitution Therapy) sites.
Out of the 11 OST sites, nine are run by NGOs while two are managed by Government hospitals.
In addition to the existing 11 OST sites, 19 more such sites would be opened at Government health centres within the current year, informed Abhiram.
One Bobo who was once an IDU but had given up his drug habits since the past 10 years said that all TI sites must be functional to full potential in order to bring down HIV transmission among IDUs to nil.
He observed that majority of the total 74 TI sites have not been functioning properly.
Most of the TI sites located a little distance away from Imphal remain shut .
Medicines for opportunistic infection are not available at TI sites and there is no doctors in most of the TI sites, Bobo said.
He further called upon MSACS, NGOs, IDUs and PLHIV to work sincerely in order to bring down the HIV transmission rate to zero instead of working on tables.
According to the epidemiological analysis published by MSACS, the total number of HIV positive people in Manipur till May 2013 was 43,171 with females comprising 12,173 and children 2811 .