Although Jharkhand is considered as a low prevalent State in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) but as per the estimated report of National Aids Control Organization (NACO) 2012, in past four years the HIV prevalence rate as well as the number of people living with HIV and new cases of HIV infection has increased at an alarming rate.
In the latest NACO report it has been revealed that the adult HIV prevalence rate is steadily increasing in Jharkhand and it is now close to the national average. The adult (15-49 years) HIV prevalence rate in Jharkhand in 2011 is 0.25 per cent compared to the national average of 0.27 per cent.The adult HIV prevalence rate was only 0.14 per cent in 2007 in the state, which increased to 0.16 per cent in 2008, 0.18 per cent in 2009, 0.21 percent in 2010 and then to 0.25 per cent in 2011. This is about 80 per cent increase in the rate in just four years.
Moreover, the number of people living with HIV is also increasing. There were 23,800 HIV positive people in the State in 2007, which increased to 28,300 in 2008, 33,800 in 2009, 40, 200 in 2010 and then to 48,000 in 2011, recording alarming increase of 102 per cent. Meanwhile the number of new HIV infection among adults of 15 years and above is also increasing in the state. It increased from 4, 621 in 2007 to 9,085 in 2011, registering an increase of almost 100 per cent.
The death rate has also gone high to a great extend. There were 1,118 AIDS related deaths in 2007 which increased to 1,947 in 2011. looking at the status the Jharkhand State AIDS Control Society (JSACS) has also initiated a number of steps for prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS.Through awareness campaign they informed people about availability of 64 Integrated Counseling and Testing Centres (ICTC) in the State where there are facilities for testing and counseling on HIV. Moreover, there are six Anti-retroviral treatment (ART) centers in Hazaribagh, RIMS, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Deoghar and Daltonganj and 17 link ART centers for treatment in the State and have also suggested the measures to be taken to prevent from it.