Imphal, May 06 2009: Expressing concern over spread of HIV/AIDS to an alarming proportion from the high rick group to the general population, Health Commissioner and Project Director of Manipur State AIDS Control Society (MACS) V Vumlungmang has lamented that in spite of this, the public continue to shy away from undergoing to find out their HIV status.

In an exclusive chat with The Sangai Express, Vumlunmang informed that HIV prevalence rate in Manipur has reached 1.3 percent and this is alarming.

Earlier the HIV virus used to spread among the injecting drug users (IDUs) and commercial sex workers (CSWs) but today it has started spreading to the general population like an epidemic, he said.

Even if HIV testing has been made compulsory for the pregnant mothers, the general public are yet to catch up with the trend of voluntary testing.

Rather they are trying to hide their HIV status, he added.

So far around 29,000 people in Manipur have been confirmed HIV/AIDS positive from the test conducted on 3 lakhs, Vumlunmang said, adding that Manipur has become one of the six States in India with highest HIV prevalence rate.

While informing that 58 Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres have been set up in Manipur under National AIDS Control Society (NACO) where the public may come for HIV testing, Vumlunmang said the testing centres have also been opened in all the district hospitals.

The reports of the test are also kept confidential, h assured.

On the steps being taken up to prevent spread of HIV among the general population, Vunlunmang disclosed that collaborative works with NGOs under a fix target are already underway.

Over and above the preventive activities being taken up with funding from NACO, International agencies like Bills and Melinda Gates Foundation, Clinton Foundation and UNAIDS have also joined in the effort.

It may be noted here that in order to combat HIV/AIDS epidemic in Manipur, the Legislature Forum of the State Assembly had resolved that all the MLAs should donate Rs 1 lakh each from their respective MLA's Local Area Development Fund towards public awareness programme of the disease.

During the course of the interaction, Vumlunmang also informed that a inspection team of the Medical Council of India is expected to visit Imphal any time after April 18 in connection with monitoring the progress of the works being taken up by the State Government for the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Science which is due to begins first session from the current academic year.

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