“The prevalence of HIV has come down to 0.67% as per 2021 estimates, thanks to the concerted efforts put in by the government and NGOs and other stakeholders,” said NTR district Collector S. Dilli Rao.
He was speaking after flagging off a ‘Red Run’, a 5km run organised by the Andhra Pradesh State AIDS Control Society in Vijayawada on September 30 in collaboration with National Health Mission, the Departments of Higher Education and AYUSH and others, to bring awareness about HIV/AIDS among youth and adolescents to reduce the risk of new infections.
More than 100 people participated in the run. The Collector said while it is a good thing that the number of annual infections in the State has come down, Andhra Pradesh still figures among the top five States when it comes to the number of population living with HIV (more than three lakh) and new infections (more than 4,000 per year).
‘’Much of the case load can be brought down by merely following preventive measures,” he said, adding that there is also a need to bring awareness about HIV/AIDS Act 2017 among people.
Indian Red Cross Society’s NTR district branch president G. Samaram and others were present on the occasion. The run is part of a series of initiatives, taken up by the society under the banner ‘Youth Fest 2023’. The fest, which began in May, will continue up to January 2024.
Those having queries regarding HIV/AIDS can dial toll-free number 1097. One can also download NACO AIDS app for information on service centres. It also has a self-risk evaluator tool. HIV testing is done free of charge in all public sector hospitals across the State.
