NEW DELHI: A new United Nations report on HIV-AIDS in India has revealed that new HIV cases in the country have declined by half since 2000, a positive sign for the country. The UNAIDS report also praised New Delhi's efforts to combat AIDS across the globe through the manufacturing of generic anti-retroviral drugs that are cheaper than other Western versions. Though rate of HIV transmission in Asia is slowing down, at least 1,000 new infections among adults continued to be reported in the continent every day in 2011, the report said. The report added that an estimated 3.6 million adults were newly infected with HIV in Asia in 2011, considerably fewer than the 4.4 million estimated for 2001. “This reflects slowing HIV incidence in the larger epidemics, with seven countries accounting for more than 90 percent of people (in Asia) living with HIV – China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam,” the report ‘Together We Will End AIDS' said. UNAIDS praised India for doing “particularly well” in halving the number of adults newly infected between 2000 and 2009, but added that some smaller countries in Asia such as Afghanistan and Philippines are experiencing increases in the number of people acquiring HIV infection. The report says India has contributed enormously to the AIDS response. “With 80 percent of these drugs being generics purchased in India, several billion dollars have been saved over the past five years. The country is also committed to new forms of partnership with low-income countries through innovative support mechanisms and South-South cooperation,” the UNAIDS report said.
