As many as 42,998 HIV positive patients have been identified in Odisha, while Ganjam district topped in the list with 14,387 HIV/AIDS infected persons so far.
The survey report ahead of the World AIDS Day, which is observed on December 1, shows that the number is rising in the district every year despite the awareness programmes launched by the Government.
While the number is decreasing slowly in the country, which registers 2.39 million cases so far, the rise in the number in Ganjam raises a big concern.
According to a report by the Odisha State AIDS Control Society, total 42,998 persons were detected with HIV positive in Odisha, out of which 2,277 were women. While Odisha registered 3,479 new cases in 2013, 3,357 in 2014, 3,066 in 2015 and 3,369 in 2016, 185 pregnant women were infected with HIV/AIDS in 2016.
Total 14,387 HIV positive patients were identified in Ganjam district so far. This year, 802 new cases were added, out of which the number of pregnant women infected with the deadly virus was 47. While 2,205 patients were identified in Koraput till the date, 148 were identified in the district in 2016.
According to the report, the highest number of persons infected with HIV positive was between the age group 25 and 49 years. While the number of HIV patients under this age group was 29,194 (78 per cent) during the survey between 2002-2016, the patients under the age group of 15-24 years was 9 per cent, patients below 14 years of age was 7 per cent and patients above 50 years of age was 6 per cent in Odisha. The chief reason behind the growing number of HIV/AIDS patients is unsafe sex.
Besides, use of non-sterilized syringe and homo sexuality are the other reasons for the spread of the disease.
Out of a total number of patients in the State, 87 per cent (21,400 male and 11,533 female) have been affected due to unsafe sex while 6 per cent have inherited the disease from their parents. While 2,411 were infected due to HIV infected syringe or needles, 460 persons were affected due to transmission of HIV-infected blood into body.
Several programmes, including the Targeted Interventions (TIs), have been undertaken by the Odisha Government to control HIV/AIDS. Total 12 TIs are functioning across the State for sex workers.
Similarly, two TIs are working for homosexuals, 21 composite TIs for multiple core groups, six TIs for persons consuming drugs through injections, two TIs for truck drivers, one TI for transgender and nine TIs for the immigrants in Odisha.