Socio-Economic Impact of HIV and AIDS in Tamil nadu

Tamil Nadu has
been identified as
one of the six
high-HIV
prevalence states
The state is also one of the educationally
advanced states in the country. According
to the 2001 Census, the literacy rate
among the population aged seven and
above was 73 percent compared with 65
percent for India as a whole. Although
female literacy has grown more rapidly
than male literacy during 1971-2001,
the female literacy rate continues to be
lower than male literacy levels in the
state. However, the gap between male
and female literacy rates in the state is
smaller than the gap for all of India.
T h e r e h a s b e e n a t r e m e n d o u s
improvement in the performance of the
state measured by some of the health
indicators. The life expectancy at birth
rate (2001-2006) is higher than all India
levels, while the Infant Mortality Rate
(IMR) (2002) is lower than all India levels.
The birth rate and death rate (2002) are
also lesser than all India levels. In fact
the natural growth rate of 10.7 per 1,000
of the population was the lowest among
the major states in India.
1.2 HIV and AIDS scenario
in Tamil Nadu
the Christian Medical College Hospital
at Vellore, and Mumbai in Maharashtra
recorded these. This was possible because
of the HIV Surveillance System initiated
by the government through the Indian
Council of Medical Research (ICMR). This
initiative was taken a few months before
it was detected, following reports about
AIDS in the west.
Tamil Nadu has been identified as one of
the six high HIV prevalence states (more
than 1 percent of antenatal mothers and 5
percent STD patients were detected HIVpositive)
as per the state wise prevalence
of HIV in 2005. It can however be seen
from Table 1.1 given below that the rates
in ANC clinics have come down to 0.50
for Tamil Nadu in 2005.
According to the monthly update on AIDS
from NACO, out of the total 1,11,608 AIDS
cases detected in the country till 31st July
2005, Tamil Nadu accounts for 52,036
cases, which makes it 46.6 percent of the
total number. The district-wise break-up
of the cases for the period upto December
2004, which accounts for 48,180 of the
cases is given in Table 1.2 below.
The first HIV infection and AIDS cases
in India were detected in Tamil Nadu
and Maharashtra in 1986. The Madras
Medical College Hospital at Chennai,
States
Table 1.1
HIV prevalence rates for highprevalence
states – 2005
STD
clinics
ANC
clinics
Andhra Pradesh 22.8 2.0
Karnataka 13.6 1.25
Maharashtra 10.4 1.25
Tamil Nadu 9.2 0.50
Manipur 12.2 1.25
Nagaland 3.5 1.63
The maximum number of AIDS cases have
been reported from the state capital itself.
The other districts which have reported
large number of AIDS cases are Namakkal,
Salem, Vellore, Dindigul, Trichy etc.
A heterosexual promiscuous lifestyle is
the main source of HIV infection as seen
from Table 1.3 below. For more than 90
percent of the cases, the heterosexual
route has been reported as the mode of
transmission of the virus.
AIDS awareness and control have
received special attention in the state
since the first case of HIV in the country
was reported here in 1986. A state-level
AIDS Control Society was formed in
4
Socio-Economic Impact of HIV and AIDS in Tamil Nadu, India