New AIDS cases in India down by half - Science & Technology

In another indication that India has managed to contain its HIV/AIDS problem, the latest report by UNAIDS says the number of new cases annually has shown a 50 per cent fall from eight years ago. In 2009, 1.2 lakh people acquired the infection, which is half of the 2.4 lakh who got the virus in 2001.

The report says there were an estimated 2.39 million HIV/AIDS victims in India in 2009, which itself is a drop from the estimated numbers of 2.5 million-3.1 million in 2007. This puts India below South Africa and Nigeria in HIV/AIDS list. Plus, said Prof Charles Gilks, UNAIDS country coordinator, "India is comparatively doing better than the US. If that continues, it may soon fall to the fourth position."

The prevalence level of infection in India is now estimated to be around 0.31 per cent of the population, down from 0.36 in 2006-07.