MACS rebuts CAG report on HIV positive cases rising to 40,855 in Manipur

Manipur AIDS Control Society (MACS) has rebutted the CAG report that was presented in Manipur legislative assembly; HIV positive cases in Manipur have increased greatly alleging the poor performance and unsatisfactory results in curbing new infections in high-risk individuals.

As per the CAG Report, in March 2007, about 25,919 HIV cases were reported. The count increased to 40,855 in March 2012, is of a great concern, over the increase which is of a serious magnitude.

Despite spending Rs 43.39 crore for implementation of Targeted Intervention (TI) programme, there's an increase in HIV positive cases. This just reflects poor performance and unsatisfactory results in curbing new infections in high-risk individuals, said the report.

MACS authority as well as Targeted Intervention Programme Centres running in the state that the figure that have been projected cannot be an indication of transmitting of new HIV positive cases, rather the increase of HIV positive cases are the contribution from old cases which have been concealed in view as stigmatisation and discrimination, also many HRG persons from the neighbouring country and state who have got tested in the state is also one of the factors in the increase of HIV positive population.

Six countries - China, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam account for more than 90% of the people living with HIV in the region.

'India has the third largest number of people living with HIV in the world - 2.1 million at the end of 2013 - and accounts for about 4 out of 10 people living with HIV in the region,' the report said.

It said HIV treatment coverage is only 36% in India, where 51% of AIDS-related deaths occur. The report said new HIV infections in South and South-East Asia declined by 8% and by 16% in the Pacific between 2005 and 2013.

In India, the numbers of new HIV infections declined by 19%, yet it still accounted for 38% of all new HIV infections in the region. The proportions of people who do not have access to antiretroviral therapy treatment are 64% in India.