The AIDS advance

Being diagnosed with HIV is no longer the dreaded sentence it used to be. There has been a tidal wave of innovation in medicine,sustained global efforts ensured that regulation and research flowed easily,and that drugs and anti-retrovirals were flexibly priced to ensure access.

It was once thought that India has the largest number of HIV-affected individuals in the world. There was every reason to suppose that these numbers didnt approach reality,and had been massaged by special interests. Indeed,looking more closely at the data seems to reveal more reassuring numbers. In fact,new AIDS cases appear to have halved in the last eight years,according to the National AIDS Control Organisation. A strong awareness campaign has ensured that prevalence rates have fallen among groups that face the greatest risk from HIV. However,this progress is uneven. For instance,Andhra Pradesh continues to be hugely problematic. Its record of HIV prevalence among males,at 1.07 per cent,is far higher than the national average of 0.31 per cent. However,though it might be a significantly smaller number than previous years,the fact that 1,20,000 new infections occurred in 2009 is sobering. Also,it must be remembered that reporting is not mandatory,which makes the statistics less final.

As India assesses its record,it must renew its commitment and will to fight AIDS. In recent years,there has been much debate about how AIDS has edged out other health priorities. Instead of pitching it as a battle between diseases,we must push reform of our national health infrastructure and ensure that resources flow efficiently to where theyre most needed.