HIV Prevalence in Kerala, 2007
The HIV prevalence in Indian and the state are estimated
using the data from the annual HIV sentinel surveillance survey
(HSS) and other available data from the population based surveys
such as National Health and Family Survey.
In 2007 the NACO estimated the national as well as the state
level prevalence rates based on the prevalence rates of the
annual sentinel surveillance Survey of 2007.
Table 1
Estimated prevalence among adults and the
estimated number of people living with HIV/AIDS, 2007
States |
Adult Prevalence |
Estimated number
of people living with HIV/AIDS |
| Kerala |
0.26% |
55,167 |
| India |
0.34% |
2.31 million (1.8 – 2.9 million) |
Source: - Technical
Note on HIV Estimation 2007, NACO |
The method used in estimation of the prevalence in 2006 was
revamped for the estimation in 2007. On the basis of the changed
methodology the estimated prevalence among the adult population
in 2006 is 0.30% .
Annual Sentinel Surveillance,
2007
The first case of HIV was reported in
the state in 1987. The annual sentinel surveillance started
in Kerala in 1998 along with the first round of national sentinel
surveillance survey. In 1998 HSS was conducted at 4 Antenatal
Clinics and 5 Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) clinics.
Till 2002 this trend was followed, except for the year 2000
when a Female Sex Worker site was included in the HSS. In
2003 for the first time a ‘Men having Sex with Men’
(MSM) site was included the Kerala HSS, in 2004 an Intravenous
Drug User (IDU) site and in 2006 a Trucker’s (TRK) site
was introduced. In 2006 the number of sites was increased
to 25, with all the 14 districts having at least one sentinel
site.
The HIV Sentinel Surveillance Survey 2007 was conducted in
Kerala during October 2007 to January 2008. HSS 2007, collected
blood samples from 26 sites, one site more than the previous
HSS.
The prevalence rate of HIV among the different sentinel sites
for the year 2007 is presented in the table 2. The prevalence
of the infection in the state is very low. Among the ANC attendees,
the proxy of the low risk population, the prevalence rate
is 0.38% in 2007. Among the STD clinic attendees the prevalence
rate is 1.60%.
Among the high risk sentinel groups the prevalence rate is
low, except in the case of Intravenous Drug Users. Among the
MSM population the prevalence rate is 1.2% and among the FSWs
it is 0.40%. Among the distance truck drivers 3.60% of the
total persons were tested positive, from the only one TRK
site in the state.
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In 2006, NACO estimated adult prevalence
rate for the state was 0.13%, and the estimated people
living with HIV/AIDS were 24,831. |
Table 2
HIV prevalence, in percentage,
among the different sentinel groups in Kerala, HSS 2005-2007
Sentinel group |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
| Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD)clinic |
2.82 |
1.23 |
1.60 |
| Antenatal Clinics (ANC) |
0.25 |
0.13 |
0.38 |
| Female Sex Workers (FSW) |
|
0.00 |
0.40 |
| Men having sex with Men (MSM) |
3.20 |
0.40 |
1.20 |
| Intravenous Drug Users (IDU) |
5.19 |
10.35 |
7.96 |
| Long distance truckers (TRK) |
|
2.40 |
3.60 |
| In 2005, there were only on MSM and one
IDU sites. There is only one TRK site both in 2006 and
in 2007. For the estimation purposes the median of the
prevalence rates are used, except in the cases where the
number of sites are less than or equal to 3 in those cases
the mean of prevalence are used. |
Across the years it is seen the prevalence rate among the ANC
attendees are very low and are showing a stabilizing trend,
with out much increase or decline in the HIV prevalence. Among
the STD clinic attendees and also among the other high risk
population the there is no significant changes across the years.
Technical Brief of National Sentinel Surveillance Report
2007 published by NACO can be downloaded from here.
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