Why in News?

=> Recently, the Madhya Pradesh AIDS Control Society has released a report. The report states that Indore ranks first in the high risk group of AIDS, that is, the risk is highest here.

Key Points:

=> Indore has more female sex workers than other cities, but the most surprising thing is that there are more GAY. In the cases of GAY, Gwalior is second, Jabalpur is third and Bhopal is at number four.

=> Madhya Pradesh AIDS Control Society is working through non-governmental organizations for the prevention of HIV and AIDS among 55 thousand people of high risk groups in the state. The society creates awareness among people in the high risk category and also works to conduct HIV screening, and treatment is provided to those who are HIV positive.

=> HIV screening is also done for sex partners and children of HIV positive patients, so that the infection can be prevented from spreading.

=> There are about 12,000 MSM (Men who have Sex with Men) in the High Risk Group in Madhya Pradesh. Maximum 1570 are recorded in Indore district. 849 in Gwalior, 795 in Jabalpur and 766 in Bhopal, while 8 people in Agar-Malwa and 2 in Sidhi are in the record of dead category.

=> Indore is also ranks one in the case of Female Sex Workers (FSW). The information of about 35,000 female sex workers in the state is registered with the AIDS Control Society.

=> The maximum number of FSW in Indore is 2513. After this there are 2464 FSWs in Chhindwara.

=> Number of Injecting Drug Users (IDUs) i.e. people who are intoxicated through injection syringes has been recorded to be about 8 thousand. The maximum number of people belonging to the IDU category are 1303 in Jabalpur district, 1223 in Bhopal and 1089 in Rewa.

=> KD Tripathi, Project Director, Madhya Pradesh AIDS Control Society said that about 68 targeted intervention projects are being run to reach different groups in the high risk category.

=> Work is being done to provide regular medicines and treatment to HIV infected by linking them with AET centers.

=> About 1652 FICTC (Facilitated Integrated Counseling and Testing Center) are operating in Madhya Pradesh for the screening of HIV.