Imphal, December 01, 2009: Manipur Governor, Chief Minister, his council of ministers and MLAs Tuesday joint in the observation of the World AIDS Day keeping in mind situation of HIV/AIDS in state that emerged as new and serious public emergency.

The situation of the pandemic is becoming serious in Manipur.

Out of 3,38,203 blood samples tested till September 2009, 33,408 were found HIV positives.

This includes 8701 female HIV positives.

The number of reported AIDS cases during the same period was 4363 and that of death recorded so far was 625, according to Manipur AIDS Control Society (MACS).

Till the end of September this year, 15,356 People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHAs) are on pre-ART centre at seven ART centres including 5,573 female and 2,203 children.

8196 PLHAs are on ART including 2,647 females and 585 children.

In Manipur where 1.13% of estimated 22.94 lakhs heads affected by HIV/AIDS according to National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), apart from the observance by several NGOs working in the field of HIV/AIDS, government also organized state function at the parade ground of the 1st Manipur Rifles ground, Imphal under the theme "Universal Access and Human Rights".

The starling fact is that the majority of new infections occur in most sexually active and highly productive age group of 15-49 years, Governor Gurbachan Jagat, who learnt of the HIV/AIDS situation of the state, expressed speaking at the state level function organized by MACS.

"All the more saddening is the fact that women constitute a large portion of those infected and there is a rise in parent to child transmission.

No other disease in recent times has generated so much public concern as the epidemic of this dreaded disease," the Governor worried observing that HIV/AIDS also have emerged as a new and serious public emergency in Manipur.

Manipur government adopted the state AIDS Policy on October 3, 1996 to become the first state in India to have a state AIDS policy.

In the inception of the MACS various AIDS control programmes are implementing in the state.

At the latest, government is going to launch five mobile integrated counseling testing centres vans in all five hill districts for better coverage of testing services apart from five new link ART centres in Tamenglong, Kamjong (Ukhrul), Moreh (Chandel), Jiribam (Imphal East) and Kangpokpi (Senapati).

Four more centres will be opened before the end of the current financial year.

"The efforts of the government are not enough to fight the menace," Gurbachan observed while appealing all section of the people including NGOs, general public, political leaders, students, religious leaders and media persons to extend their fullest cooperation as reinforcement to the government effort.

Chief Minister, O Ibobi Singh who presided over the function appealed for a concerted effort to fight with the menace and not to stigmatize the people infected by disease.

"I hope that continuous efforts of the people to fight with confidence can control the menace HIV/AID," he said.

Speaker of Manipur Legislative Assembly, state health and family welfare minister, Ph Parijat, state Irrigation and Flood Control (IFCD) minister, N Biren, agriculture minister, N Loken and officials of the state health department attended the state observation.

Distribution of 1300 bicycles to the ASHA workers of the National Rural Health Mission (NHRM) and blood donation camp organized by MACS in association with blood bank of RIMS marked the occasion.

Earlier, a cycle rally with placards displaying information about HIV/AIDS like "Avoid pre-marital sex, insist on voluntary pre-marital HIV testing among boys and girls, stick to monogamy after marriage, use condom, etc carried out in the Imphal street.

Around 100 volunteers of All Manipur Anti-Drug Association (AMADA) took part in the rally that covered the entire main streets in Imphal.

Later in the evening also candles were lighted at functions organized by NGOs and other to mark tributes to the victims of HIV/AIDS.

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