Srinagar, August 19:- Health and Medical Education Department has rebutted the news carried by some sections of media that 6,158 cases of HIV positive have been reported in J&K this year while the fact is that 6,158 cases have been registered with ART centres in J&K since 1992.
H&ME department said that there are 6,158 HIV positive patients registered with ART centers in J&K since the inception of Jammu and Kashmir AIDS Control Society in 1992.
The prevelance of HIV in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir is lowest in the country with the prevelance of 0.06% as per India HIV Estimates 2021 which is very much below the National prevalence of 0.21%.
The JKACS provides a comprehensive package of Care, support and treatmen to patients. Since the inception of JKACS 6,158 HIV positive patients have been registered with ART facilities established in GMC Jammu, SKIMS Soura and GMC Kathua.
Till date 1,400 HIV-positive patients have died, while 3,478 patients are alive on Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART). 547 patients have left follow-up. The stigma and discrimination associated with the disease is a great hindrance because of which people are not coming forward for HIV testing.
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