Cases of AIDS and HIV on rise in Bihar,100 dead

Patna, May 20 (UNI) Following the detection of more than 4,200 HIV positive cases last year, the number of people suffering from AIDS in Bihar are on the rise steadily, creating a very alarming situation.

A recent survey carried out by the Bihar State Aids Control Society (BSACS) has revealed that compred to previous years, the number of HIV positive cases had gone up by more than 38 per cent during the last financial year making Bihar as one of the most potential danger zones in terms of the prevalance of the killer diesease.

Releasing a horrifying picture of the emerging scenario, official sources quoting the BSACS survey said compared to only seven HIV positive cases, detected in the state during 2001-02, as many as 4254 positive cases were found during the last fiscal, while the number of HIV positive cases during intevening period also went up considerably.

Accordingly, while in 2002-03 a total of 348 HIV positive cases were detected in Bihar,the number went up to 812, recording more than 100 per cent growth in the very next year before reaching 824 in 2004-05,the sources informed.

Claiminig that since Bihar enjoyed a long border with Nepal,most of the recent cases were found to be detected in some of the bordering districts like East and West Champaran dustricts, which till a few years were free from such cases.

However,Patna was found to be among the most vulnerable districts with maximum number of HIV positive cases being detected from in and around this central district of Bihar, the sources said following the random test on 400 suspected people from all walks of life recently.

About the efforts to check the spread of the diesease and create more public awarness about its deadly effects, the sources said during the past six year a total amount of Rs 39.36 crores were spent under the national AIDS control programme but with little success.Instead more and more areas were now being coming under its noose.

Though there was no specific data about the loss of life in this connection,it was estimated that about 100 people had so far died of HIV-AIDS in Bihar alone,the sources said and made it clear that unless all out efforts were made by the government,other agencies as well as by the people at individual level,there was no way that the state could come out entirely free from the deadly disease as the situation was rapidly deteriorating.

UNI