New Delhi: New HIV cases among adults have declined by half in India since 2000, according to a new UN report which praised India's contribution to AIDS response through manufacture of generic antiretroviral drugs.
Though rate of HIV transmission in Asia is slowing down, atleast 1,000 new infections among adults continue to be reported in the continent every day in 2011.
An estimated 3,60,000 adults were newly infected with HIV in Asia in 2011, considerably fewer than 4,40,000 estimated for 2001, a new UNAIDS report has said.
"This reflects slowing HIV incidence in the larger epidemics, with seven countries accounting for more than 90 per cent of people (in Asia) living with HIV - China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam," the report 'Together We Will End AIDS' said.
The UNAIDS lauded India for doing "particularly well" in halving the number of adults newly infected between 2000 and 2009 and said some smaller countries in Asia like Afghanistan and Philippines are experiencing increases in the number of people acquiring HIV infection.
It said a total 17 lakh people had died across the world due to AIDS related illness. In India, the figure for such deaths stood at 1.7 lakh in 2009.
The report says India has contributed enormously to the AIDS response.
"With 80 per cent of these drugs being generics purchased in India, several billion dollars have been saved over the past five years. The country is also committed to new forms of partnership with low-income countries through innovative support mechanisms and South South cooperation," the UNAIDS report says.
It also points out that India already provides substantial support to neighbouring countries and other Asian countries - in 2011, it allocated USD 430 million to 68 projects in Bhutan across key socio-economic sectors, including health, education and capacity-building.
In 2011 at Addis Ababa, the Government of India further committed to accelerating technology transfer between its pharmaceutical sector and African manufacturers.
Comments
0 comment