‘Migrants make Assam prone to AIDS’

Increasing migrant population and proximity to AIDS prevalence states like Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram has made Assam highly vulnerable to HIV transmission.

According to a study conducted by the Assam State Aids Control Society (ASACS), as on September 30, about 11,122 people were identified as HIV-positive. Despite the fact that Assam is categorised as a low HIV-prevalence state with 0.07 per cent of an estimated adult HIV prevalence as compared to the national prevalence of 0.27 per cent, there is still a lot to worry about.

The report said that 4,268 HIV-positive cases were detected in Kamrup (Metro) districts, 2413 in Cachar, 734 in Dibrugarh and 513 in Nagaon.

Referring the data collected from recent HIV Sentinel Surveillance (HSS) among ante-natal clinic attendees or pregnant women, Karimganj, Tinsukia and Karbi Anglong districts have shown a consistent high HIV prevalence. Cachar and Sonitpur districts have both recorded more than one per cent HIV prevalence among pregnant women.

The state epidemiologist of ASACS Mr Chiranjeev Bhattacharjya told reporters, “The National AIDS Control Programme in its study has also noticed a rising trend of HIV positivity among pregnant women. The analysis of the data also revealed a stable trend of HIV positivity among general clients.”

The study suggested that Adult HIV prevalence in the state has shot up from 0.04% in 2007 to 0.07% in 2011. As annual new HIV infections have shown a downward trend in high prevalence states of Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland, annual new HIV infections in Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh have increased.

Both in Assam and Tripura, the rate of increase in annual new HIV infections is highest. The rate of positivity per thousand in Assam is 4.93. “This is something we have to work on. Evidence suggests that both in Assam and Tripura there are some emerging pockets of HIV infections. The same evidence suggests that HIV infections are mostly concentrated among female sex workers, injecting drug users and among men having sex with men, said Mr Bhattacharya.

The HIV epidemic in the state is mostly focused on high- risk groups like injected drug users comprising a 1.46%, men having sex with men (1.4%) and female sex workers (0.46%).