Vol. 1, Issue 8 (2012)

Author(s):
K. P. Sampath Kumar, Debjit Bhowmik*, S.Duraivel, M. Umadevi

Abstract:
AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. Acquired means you can get infected with it, Immune Deficiency means a weakness in the body's system that fights diseases, Syndrome means a group of health problems that make up a disease. AIDS is caused by a virus called HIV, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This condition reduces the effectiveness of the immune system and leaves individuals susceptible to infections and tumors. India   spends about 5 percent of its $5.4 billion healthcare budget on treating AIDS patients. India is the second most populous country in the world, with more than 880 million people in 1993. With less than 1% of the global land mass, India has more than 16% of the world's population, more than that of South America, Africa, and Australia combined. The population will exceed one billion by 2000, surpassing even China. By then, India will have more new cases of HIV infection per year than any single country, and probably the largest number of HIV-infected people as well. Whatever happens in India will therefore have a major impact upon the global pandemic of HIV and AIDS. The paper considers the history of the HIV epidemic in India, the probable routes of entry of HIV into India, trends in prevalence in population samples, the geographic distribution of HIV in India, AIDS in India, clinical problems in India, projections of HIV/AIDS cases, and how to control HIV/AIDS. The HIV epidemic has grown silently in India over the past decade, with the virus spread mainly through heterosexual intercourse. All known routes of transmission are, however, known in India, and increasing seroprevalence has been noted among prostitutes, STD clinic patients, blood donors, and IV drug users. The population has been largely ignorant of the advance of HIV, with public officials and the media at a loss to adequately inform the public about what is taking place. Greater energy and resources are now being devoted to the problem, but it may be too late to stop a major epidemic.