Notwithstanding an overall decline in HIV prevalence rate in general population to 0.31 per cent against the national average of 0.35 per cent last year, the disconcerting flash is from April to June this year on every single day as many as nine were being detected as HIV positive in Odisha.
However, there is some fact of solace for the State as detection of new cases posted a southward trend since 2012 –13. According to latest data available with the Odisha AIDS Control Society (OSACS), a total of 848 new HIV positive cases were detected during April- June 2015. OSACS didn’t visualise more number of cases this year vis-a-vis last year. In 2014, a total of 3,317 positive cases were detected in the State.
But the gloomier fact is in as many as 11 districts, the trend of prevalence rate in general population is either on the rise or at least fluctuating. A stable trend is noticed only in 4-5 districts in Odisha. Odisha’s populous and commercially important district Cuttack has the highest prevalence rate of 1.5 per cent among the general population (Ante natal clinic attendees) and the red herring is prevalence depicts a rising trend, suggests the latest NACO (National AIDS Control Organisation) data. The district-wise fact sheet points out a discernible rising trend in districts like Rayagada, Gajapati, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur and Kandhmal. Districts like Jajpur, Baleswar, Ganjam, Nayagarh, Nuapada and Khorda depict a prevalence rate ranging from high to moderate and at same time portray a fluctuating trend. Moreover, the blip on the radar is the State shows up a high prevalence rate (7.1 per cent) among injectible drug users group.
Police reports further add to the worry as drug users in Odisha have shown an increasing trend in recent years, especially among the college going age-group in cities like Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Brahmapur and some western districts where the trend either is on rise or fluctuating. The import here is a stable trend in prevalence rate only reflects the command of anti-HIV initiatives taken up since 1993 over the menace.
However, given the challenges at hand the UNAIDS has advocated formation of a multi-agency panel involving the disciplines like Home (police), Education along with Health in order to launch a coordinated effort to bring a stabilising effect to this rising menace. With over six per cent children of a total of around 10,560 patients in Odisha on anti-retroviral therapy (ART), the National AIDS Control Programme–IV has estimated that around 3,530 odd mothers in the State need to be covered under the Prevention of transmission from parent to children (PPTCT) programme to prevent the rising HIV load among children. A look at gender divide reveals that men accounts for around 53 per cent of total HIV patients in Odisha on ART. Only 0.7 per cent patients on ART in Odisha are transgender.
Data with the State Health and FW Department further reveals that as many as 34 deaths in Odisha last year were due to HIV/AIDS with Mayurbhanj accounting for the maximum load among all districts. Deaths due to AIDS in Odisha last year were at around 0.3 per cent of total deaths.