Srinagar/Jammu, December 01, (Scoop News)- Every year December 1st is celebrated as World Aids Day, this year it happens to be the 26th year & we are not suppose to celebrate it, Jammu and Kashmir has more than 3500 people living with Human Immuno deficiency virus (HIV) while more than a thousand are living on Anti Retroviral Treatment (ART) which is meant to maximally suppress the HIV virus and stop the progression of HIV disease. As per the sources, Jammu division tops in HIV positive patients with more than 80 percent cases while in Kashmir Valley less than 20 percent positive HIV cases were detected so far.This puts the total number of HIV positive cases in Jammu and Kashmir more than 450 in the current year 2013.
Since Government of Jammu & Kashmir, Media, Various Civil Societies & NGO’s Etc. have launched a massive awareness campaign at district levels by organizing seminars and other mediums about the prevention of AIDS, but only these efforts are not sufficient. We all have to fight against this dreaded disease and spread awareness among the ignorant and vulnerable class as prevention is the only cure of this epidemic.
Dear Citizens, 2.4 million people are HIV positive in India. Despite, the huge number the prevalence, HIV is low when compared to our population. On the other hand, HIV epidemic regions like South Africa have over 5 million cases .
Since The recently released UNAIDS Report 2013 claims that India has managed to reduce new HIV infections by a staggering 57% since 2001. To put this in perspective, in the same time frame, our neighbours Pakistan have seen an eight-fold increase in the number of cases.
A major reason for this a concerted effort by the government to tackle the ailment head on through information dissemination, education and communication. Also there has never been a case of AIDS denialism in India like there was in other epidemic countries which prevented the disease from spreading far and wide.
In Jammu & Kashmir, Drug addicts, are Mainly the high risk groups for HIV, who are 15-30 times more likely to contract HIV.Getting treatment for high risk groups is even harder.
If we’re to contain the spread of HIV, then we must figure out a way to help people from these groups find proper rehabilitation and drugs.
The reason HIV has become a more manageable disease instead of a death knell is because of something called anti-retroviral therapy in which a cocktail of drugs are given to HIV positive people which helps them manage their condition and prevents HIV from becoming AIDS.
Infact, Studies have shown that early treatment not only prevents HIV from becoming AIDS but also lowers the chance of transmitting the virus. This has been observed in HIV discordant couples (one positive, one negative) and also mother-to- child transmission.
Sadly, not enough people are getting treatment. Jammu & kashmir State remains one of the Place where less % HIV positive people receive ART and there are frequent cases of drug shortage .
The biggest challenge in Jammu & kashmir after the lack of drugs is the stigma attached to the ailment.
When HIV was rife in previous years, most people thought it was a disease that afflicted people who had it coming – the homosexuals, the drug users and the sex workers. While this view has changed over time, the stigma issue remains a problem in many parts of the world including our part of Land. We keep on coming across news items which talk about HIV positive families being ostracised, or an HIV positive people losing their jobs.
NGO’s demanded to make strict laws to curb anti-HIVdiscrimination and provide sensitisation to people to deal with people who suffer from the condition by opening ART /Rehabilitation centres not only for each Division but two for each District .
MORE AT http://scoopnews.in/det.aspx?q=33811