BHUBANESWAR: HIV and AIDS prevalence is showing a declining trend in Odisha. HIV positive cases are on decline as they have come down to 1.67 per cent by December, 2010 compared to 10.6 pc in 2002, as per the HIV sentinel surveillance survey report of the NACO. Since 2002, the survey is being carried out by NACO for a period of three months every year across the country among the high risk groups. As many as 2,31,015 persons were examined for HIV in the year 2008 and 3,635 were tested positive while in 2009 out of 3,42,645 samples examined, 3,965 were found HIV positive. Likewise, out of 3.67 lakh blood samples tested in 2010, 3,819 were found HIV positive and this year till October 3,042 cases were found positive of 3,42,838 samples tested. Officials in the Odisha State AIDS Control Society (OSACS) said while the number of persons coming forward voluntarily to get themselves tested for HIV is increasing, the number of patients found positive is on decline. Migrant labourers are most HIV infection- prone community in Odisha. Their prevalence has made Ganjam most HIV/AIDS-affected region of the State. However, if the survey report is any indication, more such cases are coming to the fore in places like Jharsuguda (which is witnessing rapid industrialisation), Balangir (migration) and Paradip (bridge population like truckers). To further improve the situation, the OSACS this year has started working on a number of initiatives. Apart from the existing nine Anti-Retroviral Therapy Centres (ARTCs) in the State, nine more ‘Link ARTCs’ have been opened in Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Nayagarh, Keonjhar, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Nuapada, Nabarangpur and Malkangiri this year. “These Links ARTCs are smaller versions of ARTCs where HIV patients who are stable for six months under anti-retroviral therapy (ART) and willing to go back to their houses, can avail of treatment,” said Additional Director of OSACS Rabindra Kumar Nath. This apart, CD4 machines will be installed in ARTCs in Balasore, Balangir and Rourkela. The CD4 machine counts the T4 cells, which are special white blood cells or lymphocytes. Enumeration of these cells decides the extent of HIV infection in a person suffering from AIDS. “Eleven more targeted intervention projects have been started this year and the NACO grant to certain blood banks have been increased from ` 31,000 to ` 75,000,” added Nath.
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