More than 1.20 lakh people in Gujarat suffer from AIDS – Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, which translates to four in every 1 lakh. Last year, 800 lost their lives to the disease.

World AIDS Day is a designated day on December 1, dedicated to raising awareness about the disease.

AIDS is spread by HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), and in today’s age, it is a manageable chronic disease, which means it can be managed with medication.

According to a report in the Lok Sabha, there are a total of 84,537 patients registered under the National AIDS-STD Control Program. The number stood at 71,499 in 2019-20. Thus, the number of patients has increased by more than 12% in five years.

On the other hand, according to the Gujarat government's claim, the estimated adult HIV prevalence in Gujarat has decreased from 0.2% in 2019 to 4% in 2023. The HIV infection rate has decreased from 6 people per 1,00,000 uninfected people in 2019 to 4 people in 2023.

Here’s the updated table and HTML code with the new data:

Positive AIDS Cases in Gujarat

Source: National AIDS Control Program, Gujarat State

The Southeast Asia region, including India, has about 3.9 million people living with HIV (PLHIV), representing 10% of the global burden, WHO's Regional Director, South-East Asia, Saima Wazed, said. 

In the region, 78% of PLHIV knew their status in 2023.

While 66% received lifesaving antiretroviral treatment, 64% had suppressed viral load.

Wazed informed that despite treatments, the region also has a high burden (80,000 children and adolescents aged 0-14) due to vertical transmission (mother-to-child); and about 53,000 infants are born with congenital syphilis.

“These children are one too many as there are effective interventions to eliminate mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy, labour, and childbirth,” she said.

“While we have made significant strides in reducing HIV/AIDS rates through strong national commitments, we must acknowledge the ongoing challenges that persist,” Wazed noted.

In addition, marginalised populations such as men who have sex with men (MSM), sex workers, people who inject drugs, trans and gender-diverse individuals, and prisoners continue to face disproportionate impacts due to stigma, discrimination, and in some cases, criminalisation.

She called for “confronting the inequalities” to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals target of ending AIDS by 2030.

Further, Wazed called the theme, “Take the Rights Path: My Health, My Right” this year, “a rallying cry for accessible, rights-based healthcare that empowers those affected by HIV/AIDS to live vibrant and fulfilling lives”.

The Regional Director also urged for ‘boldly tackling the stigma and discrimination that stand as formidable barriers to accessing prevention, treatment, and care’.

"On this World AIDS Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to the health and rights of all individuals affected by HIV/AIDS," Wazed said.

(with inputs from syndicated feed)