Current Scenario of HIV/AIDS in AP and Government’s Response

1. Current Scenario of HIV/AIDS in AP and Government’s Response By K.Damayanthi, PD, APSACS Government of Andhra Pradesh

2. HIV/AIDS in India • Estimated to have 4.58 million HIV positive persons • Adult prevalence rate: 0.8% • 6 states (Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, AP, Manipur and Nagaland) having generalised epidemic (above 1% HIV prevalence among 15-49 years age group) • 90% of the infected are in the age of 15-44 years • 47% of the infected are below 29 years

3. Adilabad 0.75% Vizianagaram Nizamabad Karimnagar Srikakulam 1.25% 1.25% 2.00% 1.00% 1.00% 1% 0.5% Medak Warangal Visakhapatnam 1.5% Hyderabad Khammam East Godavari Rangareddy 1.5% 0.5% Nalgonda 1 % 2.5% West Godavari 1.5% 2.00% Krishna Mahabubnagar 1.75% Guntur 3.75 % 0.25% Prakasam Kurnool 3.00% > or =1% 0.50% < 1% Ananthapur Cuddapah Nellore 2.5% 1.25% 2.5% Chittoor HIV Positivity in ANC SITES • Above 0.4 million HIV infected persons in the state • 17 out of the 23 districts have generalised epidemic (above 1% of the HIV positivity among the pregnant women) • 95% of the pregnant women tested HIV positive in the ANC clinics are below 29 years

4. Age distribution of HIV +ve cases ( April 02-March 03) N = 15363 • Young people are at the centre of the epidemic • Nearly 50% of the infected are between 15-29 years Source: Data collected from VCTCs

5. Need of the Hour - Adoption of a multi-sectoral and multi-pronged strategy • HIV/AIDS as a Development Issue • Focus on Young people • Private and Public Partnerships • Focus on BCC • HIV/AIDS – a multi-sectoral programme

6. AIDS as a Development Issue Elements of new Strategy • Strong political commitment and advocacy under the leadership of the Hon’ble Chief Minister • Incorporation of HIV/AIDS as a part of all Training and Extension Programmes • Discussion of HIV/AIDS in all public meetings • companies/ NGOs to see Work place interventions as an issue for their sustainability

7. Focus on Young People • Focus on young people - all youth groups in the State to be trained on HIV/AIDS by Youth Services Dept. • 1.4 million 9th and 10th class students and 1.2 million College Students being trained in HIV prevention and life skills programme • Out of school adolescent girls to be trained on HIV/AIDS • Young people’s friendly hotline counselling centres to be opened shortly • NSS students to spread HIV prevention messages among out of school youth

8. Young People as advocates • Young people to be the counsellors in hot line counselling • College and school students • To be the peer educators • To be the advocates for reducing stigma and discrimination • To be the health educators for out of school youth and their families

9. Private & Public Partnerships • Bill & Melinda Gates foundation in partnership with Transport Corporation, IOCL implementing the Truckers project • BMGF in partnership with International HIV/AIDS Alliance and HLL to implement Sexual Health Project for Sex workers • Corporates involved in various IEC & capacity building programmes

10. Focus on BCC Key Elements of the Strategy • Focus on sharing experiences by People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWAs) • Focus on sharing of experiences by young people on positive life styles • Focus on Inter-personal and small group sessions • Encourage Health seeking behaviour • Focus on skill building in young people Adolescent girls and women groups

11. Young people be the leaders in the fight against HIV/AIDS to reclaim the future THANK YOU