356 cases of AIDS detected in Asom

Guwahati, Nov 30 (UNI) Asom Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on the occassion of World AIDS day today said 456 cases of AIDS have been detected in the state till October of which 355 were male and 383 got the disease through sexual intercourse.

'' Though the state is not vulnerable as per as AIDS is concerned, we have taken all possible measures as the neighbouring Manipur and Nagaland were declared as the most vulnerable states with 2866 and 736 positive cases respectively,'' Mr Sarma said.

Talking to newsmen here, Dr Sarma further said as per the data available till June 2005, Tamil Nadu topped with 52036 HIV patients, followed by Maharstra with 13747 and Andhra Pradesh with 12349.

He said Asom Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi would announce the State Policy on AIDS here yesterday.

''The Kamrup district is having the highest number of HIV positives with 249 followed by Nagaon with 24 and 21 at Golaghat,'' he revealed.

He said the National AIDS Control programme had been launched in the state in two phases. The first phase was launched in 1992 to 1997 and extended up to 1998. Second phase launched in 1999 is still continued. The Asom State AIDS control Society (ASACS) was set up in 1992.

There are 21 Targeted Intervention projects under implementation through NGOs partners in the state so far and 36 new projects were being planned this fiscal. Action plan had been prepared for training, he said.

Two Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) have been established in the Guwahati Medical College where Antiretroviral Drugs are given free of cost as per the NACO directives and one would be established in Silchar Medical college soon, he said.

Mr Gogoi would be inaugurating trainers training programme here tomorrow in this regard.

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