Need for improved access to HIV prevention programmes

HIV prevalence continues to grow worldwide. The United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) estimates that there are 33.4 million people living with HIV, a total that is more than 20 per cent higher than in 2000. India accounts for half of Asia’s HIV prevalence, with approximately 2,270,000 persons living with HIV in India in 2008. Like many Asian countries, India has a concentrated epidemic, in which three high risk groups, female sex workers (FSWs), men who have sex with men (MSM), and injection drug users (IDUs) have HIV prevalences that are 10 - 20 times more than the prevalence found among women presenting at antenatal clinics. Migrant workers and truckers are also viewed at higher risk, as potential bridge populations between these high risk groups and the general population.