HIV on the rise in Belgaum

The report prepared by the district health department shows that a large number of persons have tested positive for HIV in the district and the prevalence rate was on the rise in an alarming manner. The number of people who have tested positive since January 2002 until July 2008 is 13,548. Of this, 10,601 tested positive from 2002 to 2007. During this year until the end of July, 2,947 persons have tested positive to the dreaded disease.

There is a phenomenal increase in the number of people afflicted by HIV/AIDS since 2002 when only 75 persons were tested positive among the 593 counselled and 477 taking up the tests. In 2003, 4,011 persons were counselled, of whom 2,946 were tested and 644 were found positive. Similarly in 2004, 13,609 were counselled, 12,030 underwent the test of which 1,105 were found positive. The figure shot up further in 2005 when 20,862 persons were counseled, 18,156 were tested and 1,728 were found positive.

In 2006, 29,112 persons were counselled and 23,377 were tested of which 2,059 were found positive. In 2007, the figures inflated as 40,105 persons were counseled, 35,353 were tested and 3,990 were found positive.

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