 |
India is
the country with second largest population of
HIV-infected individuals. |
|
First
case of HIV was detected in 1986 in Chennai. |
|
Current
estimates of HIV infection among the adults between the age
15-49 years is 0.7 %. |
|
HIV is
increasingly being diagnosed among the housewifes and pregnant
women and not among the high risk groups. |
|
In the
last 5 years the infection rate among the commercial sex workers
of Mumbai has increased from 1% to 51 %. |
|
States
in India - Maharashtra, Tamil Naidu, Karnataka, Andhra Pardesh,
Manipur and Nagaland have infection rates greater than 1%. |
|
Availability
of drugs against HIV --- Out of 15 antiretroviral drugs
available worldwide, 10 are available in India. Pharmaceutical
company Cipla is the leading manufacturer of these
drugs. |
|
HIV virus
presents great challenge to the scientists. There are nine genetic
variants known as subtypes - from A to J are in circulation in
deffirent geographical areas. In India subtype C is prevalent, while
in Europe and America, subtype A and B are common. Subtypes may
further have many strains. thus even if a vaccine is developed in US
it may not be effective in India. |
