CHENNAI: It's been three decades since AIDS was officially 'reported'. Thirty years and 34 million people living with the brand of harbouring the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) in their bodies later, World Aids Day has become a day to mark up on the calendars. Not just theirs though - what with all the hype about the "one person infected every 15 seconds" line that did the rounds, there's a part of one of the world's largest epidemics that has crossed our lives somewhere. But this year, the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter. And for once, it’s getting better in a hurry."The prevalance rate in Tamil Nadu and specifically in Chennai has decreased rapidly," says Dr A C Mohandoss, Project Director of Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society (TANSACS), with a hint of joy. "Compared to the 1.13 percent that was seen in 2001, it came down to as low as 0.25 percent of adults infected in 2007," he adds. In fact, informed specialists within the organisation estimate that the rate might even have dipped to 0.13 percent, so far this year, "touchwood", they mutter. And for once, there's no doubt of a 'government fudged' report – the United Nations AIDS publication (UNAIDS-2011) observed that when compared to 1996, the number of new infections in India had fallen by a whopping 56 percent.This brings us to the present again. This year's World AIDS Day theme – Getting to Zero, Zero new infections, Zero Discrimination and Zero AIDS related deaths, is optimistic, yet extremely achievable, says Dr Mohandoss. "After the three major campaigns we held from 2005, this year, we have begun taking AIDS prevention to the rural masses through 'folk media'," says Pramod K, who works with a TANSACS Technical Support Unit. After extremely good response in 16 high risk districts to their AIDS campaigns through tapattam, karagattam and street theatre, the remaining 16 districts will be targeted soon, he adds.The discrimination part is gradually loosening its hold on our city's HIV affected citizens, say people who work closely with them. "The acceptance is more and there is way more sensitivity and information out there now," agrees Rama Pandian, who founded the support group TNP+ for HIV affected people. However, a good section of social workers argue that it is subjective and contend that it is because of the counselling and precautions about identity that they had taken people with AIDS are able to lead almost-normal lives.This leaves us with the task of reducing AIDS related deaths. Thankfully, the state is catching them young, "We have outreach workers in all 40 blocks to counsel women pregnant with HIV, every step of the way and once the children are born, the blood test is done after six weeks," explains Dr William Rachna, PPTCT Consultant. A drug administered will then reduce the transmission from mother to child from 30 percent to nine percent. Yet, the UNAIDS-2011 states that Anti-retroviral drugs are administered to only 0-39 percent of women, the lowest in the world along with Malawi and Namibia.And for those adults who are diagnosed with the disease? "Come in early and there will always be help here," says Dr Mohandoss. For once, zero is a number that everyone's trying top get to first.
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