KOHIMA, Jan 30 ? Incidence of HIV infection among intravenous drug users (IVDU) has registered a declining trend but the ante-natal cases and the spread of the dreaded disease through sex is on the rise in Nagaland, the sixth most-affected state by HIV/AIDS in the country. The incidence of HIV infection among drug users appears to be reducing due to greater awareness and targeted intervention projects carried out by NGOs and Nagaland AIDS Control Society, state chapter of National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) for the past couple of years, according to official sources here.
Although initially the prevalence rate was very high among the IV drug users in the urban areas, the killer disease is now spreading to rural areas of the state encompassing all sections of the society, including the newly born babies, the Society statistics revealed. On the other hand, the incidence of HIV/AIDS infection among STD clinic attendees and ante-natal (transmission from mother to baby) cases in rural district have also been increasing, posing a serious challenge for the health managers in the state.
The state government realised that the magnitude of HIV/AIDS cases in Nagaland is a cause for great concern as the number of full blown AIDS cases increased quite alarmingly not only among drug users but also among the general populace including rural areas, the sources said. After the first HIV positive case was detected in 1990 and full-blown AIDS in 1994, till date 24,735 blood samples have been screened, out of which 1,263 have tested positive, recording a high prevalence rate. So far, 284 AIDS cases were recorded in the state which included 14 incidence of below five years, and out of them 98 died, the official statistics revealed.
According to NACO, in Nagaland 45 per cent of AIDS cases were a result of sexual intercourse with infected person, 43 per cent from infected syringes and needles while remaining 14 per cent were through blood transfusion or blood products. The highest number of HIV/AIDS patients belong to the age group of 20-29 years (55 per cent) followed by 30-39 years (27 per cent) and five years of age group accounted for 9 per cent.
As per official records, the three most affected districts in the state are Tuensang, Dimapur and Kohima. In 1999, out of 267 ante-natal care (ANC) screened, 13 tested positive in Tuensang, out of 400 ANC screened, eight tested positive in Dimapur while in Kohima out of 400 ANC screened, three tested positive. In the year 2000, in Tuensang out of 342 ANC screened, 12 tested positive, in Dimapur out of 400 ANC, three positive while in Kohima out of 400 ANC screened, eight tested positive.
The incidence among ante-natal mothers in Tuensang is more alarming as compared to other districts due to easy availability of drugs as the district shares long border with Myanmar, where there is high prevalence of STD, sexual promiscuity and low rate of literacy, official sources pointed out.