BATTLE WON, WAR CONTINUES

On World AIDS Day, authorities cautioned that the state should not drop guard against HIV even if infection rate has dipped. TNIE looks at the current scene & emerging threats

- Krishna P.S

Two decades have passed since the global human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic peaked in 2004. Significant progress has been made in curbing its spread and reducing AIDS fatalities.

"Ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 is within reach," said UN Secretary-General António Guterres on World AIDS Day (December 1).

However, he cautioned against complacency, urging global leaders to "commit to dismantling barriers to healthcare and upholding human rights."

"Every 25 seconds, someone in the world is infected with HIV," Guterres noted. "One-quarter of people living with HIV—more than nine million people—lack access to lifesaving treatment."

This prompted us to take a look at the situation in Kerala.

First, a flashback

The world first identified HIV in humans in 1959. Within a few decades, this virus became one of the deadliest threats the human race has ever faced.

In 1981, the epidemic gained attention when a few men in the U.S. were diagnosed with pneumocystis pneumonia, a condition common in patients with low immunity or those undergoing organ transplantation. This was the first detected manifestation of AIDS, the final stage of HIV infection.

Fear grew as the virus spread worldwide, infecting thousands. The epidemic peaked in 2004, with over 31 lakh deaths due to AIDS that year alone.

In India, HIV cases surged during the 1990s and early 2000s, sparking panic and stigma. HIV-positive individuals, including children infected through parent-to-child transmission, faced alienation. Relatives, friends, and even some medical practitioners avoided them.

The first HIV case in Kerala was detected in 1987, a year after the first Indian case where two doctors found HIV among female sex workers in Chennai. Panic and stigma existed here as well.