On World AIDS Day today, the new HIV Sentinel Surveillance to monitor levels and trends of HIV epidemic among different population groups in the country has revealed that males account for 69 per cent of the total new infections while females account for the remaining 31 per cent.
However, the HIV epidemic is stable in India and reversing on account of continued decline in the overall HIV prevalence rate in the high prevalence states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Manipur and Nagaland.
The epidemic has seen a rollback in these states, with the national HIV adult prevalence declining from 0.31 per cent in 2009-2010 to 0.27 per cent in 2010-11.
New infections increase marginally, with survey findings stating, "The declining trend of new infections at national level was sustained till 2010 when estimate for this indicator was 1.30 lakh (0.84 lakh to 2 lakh) at rounded off values. Between 2010 and 2011 the number of new HIV infections is estimated to have increased marginally. In 2011, it is estimated that 1.30 lakh (0.82 lakh to 2.18 lakh) adults and children were newly infected."
The survey adds that while in 2011 the number of estimated new HIV infections is 1,30,977, it was 1,30,594 in 2010