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AIDS rings the warning bells in Kerala

D Jose in Thiruvananthapuram

The killer Aquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome disease is spreading alarmingly in the southern state of Kerala, which has a sizeable migrant population.

According to a recently released report of the Kerala State AIDS Control Society (KSACS), one in every 500 people in the state is an HIV positive. Of India's about 3.5 million HIV infected cases, the KSACS estimates, some 70,000 to 100,000 are in Kerala.

One worrisome trend noticed by researchers is that HIV infections detected recently were acquired within the state. Unlike earlier when most of these infections came from Mumbai.

KSACS Assistant Director Dr Prasannakumar and AIDS Programme Officer Dr A Belecita said the report was prepared on the basis of blood tests conducted on samples collected from high risk and low risk groups in eight selected centres.

The blood samples from the high-risk groups - commercial sex workers, drug addicts, truck drivers, prisoners, street children and migrant labourers - were collected from the Sexually Transmitted Diseases Clinics of the five medical colleges in the state. The blood samples from low-risk groups were taken from ante-natal centres at Thodupuzha, Kottayam and Thiruvananthapuram. Dr Prasannakumar and Dr Belecita said the samples were tested thrice.

They said the figure of approximately 100,000 HIV infected in the state was quite alarming. According to official statistics, Kerala has only 200 AIDS patients, but authorities feel that the actual figure will be much higher.

The report says that one of every four infected persons is a woman and that most of them have got the infection from their husbands. Some infants too have been infected through their mothers

Anti-AIDS measures are now being stepped up in the light of the recent findings. A one-year-long mass awareness campaign was launched recently. Painting competitions, poster designs and exhibitions with AIDS as the central theme will form part of the campaign.

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