Rise in AIDS-related deaths, HIV cases in India

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 14

India has reported only marginal improvements in the fight against the HIV AIDS epidemic between 2015 and 2017, show the latest HIV estimates released by the government on Friday.

There has actually been a rise in AIDS-related deaths between 2015 and 2017, with 69,110 dying of the infection in 2017 as against 67,612 two years ago.

The number of people living with the infection have also risen from 21.17 lakh in 2015 to 21.40 lakh in 2017.

HIV prevalence in adults, which was 0.28 per cent in 2015, has only declined to 0.22 now.

New HIV infections, which were 89,000 in 2015, have declined meagrely to about 87,000, showing a slow pace of progress in the area.

India has pledged to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 free halting and reversing it. It has only now passed a law to ensure non discrimination with people living with HIV.

The apex court has further aided the anti-HIV fight by reading down Section 377 IPC which criminalised same sex relationship between consenting adults.

The Section was forcing men having sexual relations with men underground driving higher HIV rates against them as they would avoid treatment for fear of retribution and punishment.