NEW DELHI – Asia is in the leading position in AIDS (Acquired immune deficiency syndrome) prevalence as about 48 lakh people in Asia are affected by this deadliest disease and India has the highest (49 percent) share in the continent, reveals the UNAIDS report.
Globally there are 488 million cases affected by sexually transmitted infections out of which 71 million are in South- East Asia. The impact is more on women and children as the prevention measures taken in this region are very less in number resulting in an easy mother-to-child transmission.
Countries like Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Maldives, Nepal and Timor-Leste are reported the most HIV affected by sexual transmission and by injecting drugs. High occurrence of HIV had been found in 32 percent of men who have sex with men and the female sex workers. Also there are variations in percentage of the sex workers from Mumbai & Thane depending on the street-based sex workers affected by HIV.
World Health Organization is conducting various public awareness programs to prevent HIV, globally. There are many programs in India aimed to bring down the disease. Report says that in Karnataka, Mumbai and Thane the prevalence has come down by 13 percent than earlier. The report also says that 35 percent of HIV affected children are receiving anti-retroviral therapy treatment. Surprisingly, the rate of HIV transmission is slowing down in Asia. 360,000 newly affected people were found in 2010 which is a drastic dip from 2001 when 450,000 cases were registered.
