Even as the World AIDS Day was observed on Tuesday, the killer disease continues to haunt people in several parts of the State although the number of positive cases has witnessed a slight downward trend in the recent past.
As per official data, the most AIDS-prone district Ganjam, from where large numbers of people migrate to neighbouring States for livelihoods, continues to top the list with a total of 16,515 cases reported till October this year since 2000. While 12,37,337 people had undergone the HIV test in the district, 16,515 of them tested positive for the virus. This year (till October), 318 persons, including 30 pregnant women, have been diagnosed with the disease.While 849 persons had tested HIV positive in the district in 2015, a total of 810 cases were detected in 2016, 659 in 2017, 671 in 2018 and 691 in 2019.
Despite various awareness drives, unprotected sex has been found to be majorly responsible for transmission of the virus in the district, say health officials.
In Baleswar district too, the number of HIV positive cases continues to remain alarming. As per data, the district has so far reported 1,689 cases while 391 affected persons have succumbed to the virus so far. Around eight to 10 persons are diagnosed with HIV at the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) everyday. Mostly, youngsters are affected by the disease in the district, said the District AIDS Cell.
From 2015 to October 2020, a total of 565 persons were diagnosed with the AIDS in the district: 101 in 2015, 99 in 2016, 95 in 2017, 97 in 2018, 114 in 2019 and 59 in 2020 (till October). Soro and Khaira blocks are registering maximum positive cases. The number has decreased this year as HIV tests were not conducted due to the Covid-19 pandemic, said a health official.
The figure is also on the rise in Kalahandi district with detection of 1,081 positive cases from 2006 till November 2020. The total cases include 682 males, 374 females and 25 transgenders. Bhawanipatna block in the district has reported the highest 275 cases while Thuamul Rampur reported lowest six. So far, 167 HIV patients have succumbed to the virus in the district.
However in Jajpur district, the number of HIV infections has decreased as compared to previous years, thanks to widespread awareness on the disease, said district officials.This year so far, only 16 persons have been diagnosed with HIV and two died due to the virus. The infected persons mostly belong to Jajpur, Binjharpur, Bari and Dasarathpur blocks, from where most of people migrate to other States to work and get infected with the virus, the officials said. In 2017, a total of 44 persons in the district had tested positive for the virus, 39 in 2018 and 35 in 2019. As per official information, the screening started in the district in 2003. So far, 633 persons, including 260 females, have contracted the virus in the 17 years. Besides, 104 patients, including 70 males, have died in the 17 years.