People living with HIV up 20%, but epidemic has stabilised: WHO

While AIDS prevention programmes have helped reduce new infections by 17% over the last eight years, the number of people living with the virus continued to rise. According to latest estimates by UNAIDS and WHO, about 3.3 crore people or 20% more people were living with the epidemic by the end of 2008, compared to 2000.

The AIDS epidemic appeared to have stabilised in most regions, although prevalence continued to increase in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and other parts of Asia due to a high rate of new HIV infections. Sub-Saharan Africa remained the most heavily affected region, accounting for 71% of new HIV infections in 2008.

Asia, home to 60% of the world’s population, was second only to sub-Saharan Africa in terms of the number of people living with HIV. India accounted for roughly half of Asia’s HIV prevalence. Asia’s epidemic, once concentrated among risk groups such as sex workers, drug users and homosexuals, was steadily expanding into low-risk populations to sexual partners of those most at risk.

A more promising picture emerged from the heavily affected states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, where HIV prevalence among 15-24-year-old women attending antenatal clinics declined by 54% between 2000 and 2007. In India, women accounted for an estimated 39% of prevalence in 2007.

While sexual transmission was driving the epidemic throughout most of India, accounting for nearly 90% of prevalence nationwide, transmission during injecting drug use was the primary transmission mode in the northeastern part of the country.

Sex workers remained at an extremely high risk of infection. In four states of southern India, surveys found an HIV prevalence of 14.5% among female sex workers. Since condoms were not consistently used, sex workers had an elevated risk of becoming infected, which resulted in transmission to male clients. In China, 60% female sex workers did not use condoms with clients.