India
Total Treatment Sites:		3
Treatment Site Location(s):		Center of Excellence, New Delhi Manipur Mizoram
Patients on ART:		624
Patient Enrolled:		1,230
Report in PDF Format:		India Country Report

HIV/AIDS in India

At 0.3%, the adult HIV prevalence rate in India is low but due to its large population, India is behind only South Africa and Nigeria in terms of the actual number of people living with HIV (UNAIDS, 2008).  However, according to the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), the governmental body set up to handle India’s response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, large numbers of cases still go unreported.

The first cases of HIV in India were reported in 1987.  Initially the epidemic spread rapidly among injecting drug users (IDU) but by the 1990s, it was apparent that HIV had spread to the general population of India.  Most infections occur through heterosexual sex but ‘high-risk groups’ such as men who have sex with men (MSM), truck drivers, sex workers, and migrant workers are at higher risk of infection.  The worst affected states in India are: Andra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tamil Nadu.

In 1992, the government set up NACO, which adopted the National AIDS Prevention and Control Policy in 2001.  Due to the vast number of languages and dialects spoken throughout India, HIV/AIDS education and prevention messages are most effective when carried out at the state and local levels.  With guidance from NACO, each state carries out a local plan through its own AIDS Prevention and Control Society.

Recent HIV prevention efforts in India have focused on condom promotion and testing.  According to NACO, by the end of 2005, there were 873 voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) centers in India.  However, according to UNAIDS, in 2007 there were still only 137 reported sites providing antiretroviral therapy (ART).  Less than 15% of those in need are receiving antiretroviral drugs (ARVs).  In the same year, 64,000 pregnant women living with HIV needed ARVs for prevention of mother-to-child prevention (PMTCT) but only 14% received it.

AHF Activities in India

AHF India Cares was established in 2004 with a commitment to forming partnerships with local NGOs and government AIDS agencies and to providing lifesaving ART services for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA).  In the past five years, AHF India Cares has emerged as a leading HIV/AIDS organization in India, known for its delivery of high quality treatment and support services, and for its successful leadership in advocacy efforts.  As a result of AHF’s campaigns calling for affordable ARVs and for the availability of government-funded second line treatment, Cipla, the world’s largest generic AIDS drug producer, lowered its prices by 20%.  The Indian government also recently announced that it is moving towards providing second line treatment.