The Health department's sustained efforts and awareness campaigns has resulted in the decline of HIV/AIDS cases in Dakshina Kannada district, said District Health Officer Dr Ramakrishna Rao.
Speaking to mediapersons at his office (PWD building) here, on Friday, Rao said that the number of persons, who tested positive for HIV, had registered a decline in the past 12 years at HIV counselling and testing services and under the National AIDS Control Programme in the district.
From 2007 to 2018, the number of persons who had tested positive for HIV among the general clients was 9,842 and among the pregnant women it was 397, he said.
"The number of pregnant women who had tested positive for HIV in the district had come down from 82 in 2007 to 10 in 2018 (till October)."
In 2018, the number of persons, who were tested positive among the general clients, is 462, of whom 290 are men, and four are children, below the age of 14.
Of the 462 persons tested positive for HIV, 138 are from Mangaluru, 42 from Bantwal, 36 from Belthangady, 27 from Puttur, 25 from Sullia and 194 from other districts and states. As many as 357 are in the age group of 15 to 49 and 101 are above the age of 49.
From 2006 till 2018, a total of 8,033 persons, who had tested positive for HIV, have registered at Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Centre and 4,051 were availing treatments. Among those who are undergoing treatment, 1,999 are men and 336 are children below the age of 15.
He said in 2007, 1,245 people were tested positive under general clients. Now, it has come down to 462 in 2018.
In 2017, 13 pregnant women were tested positive for HIV out of 30,319 pregnant women who had undergone the test. Among the general clients, 595 were tested positive for the HIV out of the total 56,029 persons who had undergone the test.
Dr Rao said antiretroviral treatment (ART) was provided to pregnant women, who had tested positive for HIV with the objective to prevent the transmission of HIV to their babies.
Red Ribbons Clubs
To create awareness among the youngsters on HIV/AIDS, Red Ribbon Clubs were launched in 93 degree colleges. Under Adolescence Education Programme (AEP), series of awareness programmes were organised in 200 selected high schools and 32 PU colleges in the district.
Availability of medicines
On complaints over non-availability of medicines at ART centres and link ART Centres in the district, DHO admitted that there was shortage of medicines due to poor supply from National AIDS Control Organization (NACO). "Now, the Arogya Raksha Samithi in Dakshina Kannada district has released funds to the Wenlock Hospital, to purchase the required drugs. Further, district-level tenders have been floated to purchase the required medicines."
The district-level World Aids Day will be observed at Tejaswini College of Nursing, Kudupu on December 1. Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat president Meenakshi Shanthigodu will inaugurate the programme, he added.
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