India

In India, the first case of HIV/AIDS was identified in Chennai, Tamil Nadu in 1986. In 2007, it had an estimated 1.8 – 2.9 million HIV positive persons, with an estimated adult HIV prevalence of 0.34% (0.25%–0.43%). As the HIV Prevalence among the high risk groups (HRG) is very high compared to that among the general population, India continues to be in the category of concentrated epidemic. The sexual mode continues to be the major mode of transmission, though transmission through injecting drug use and Men having Sex with Men are on the rise in many new pockets. The epidemic is greater in urban areas than rural areas, greater among males than females, decreases with increasing education level, and is found to be highest among women whose spouses work in transport industry.

The first phase of National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) was initially from 1992 to 1997 and was extended to 1999. NACP-II commenced from April 1999 and NACP-III began in 2007. NACP-III seeks to learn from the lessons of the previous two phases of programme implementation and build on the strengths thereof. The present programme is based on sound public health principles and places the highest priority on preventive efforts while, at the same time, integrating prevention with care, support and treatment. However, complexities of the epidemic and its exact dimensions are yet to be understood especially in the Northern and North Eastern states of the country. This section links you to resources, news, events and organisations working on HIV/AIDS in India.