India's role in AIDS control commended

UNAIDS has commended India's role in fighting AIDS.

"India has contributed enormously to the AIDS response through its capacity to  manufacture generic antiretroviral drugs in the private sector. With 80 per cent of these drugs being generics purchased in India, several billion dollars have been saved over the past five years," says the UNAIDS Report 2012: Together we will end AIDS, released this  morning.

Thanks to generic drugs from India, the price of a year's supply of ART dropped from $10,000 per person per year year in 2000 to under $100 per person per year.

"India is the global pharmacy for the world that made it possible for 8 million people access ARTs. These drugs not only help people living with HIV to live healthier and longer, but also reduces the chances of their infecting their regular partners through unprotected sex by at least 96 per cent, if not more," says Steve Kraus, director of the UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Asia and the Pacific based in Bangkok, Thailand.

There were 44.2 million people living with AIDS in 2011,  which was a slight increase over 33.5 million in 2010, as more people were alive thanks to 8 million people receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART is used to treat HIV), as against a few thousands a decade ago.

India has 2.7 million HIV affected people, with an adult prevalence of 0.31 per cent of the general population.