SINGAPORE: About five hundred thousand people in India have already been infected with HIV virus which causes AIDs and if Current rates continue some 50 lakh people will be infected with the deadly disease by the year 2000 according to a World Bank news report.
The report said the international development association (IDA) supporting a project now being undertaken by India aimed at educating the Public on ways to avoid contracting the disease with a credit of 84 million dollars.
The IDA credit approved on March 31 will finance a nationwide public information campaign by the government through television and radio programs and will call on private advertising agencies and government bodies to inform the public on how to prevent infection the report said.
“The disease if left unchecked could become a great Human tragedy and could have a very negative impact on some parts of India’s economy” said World Bank senior public health physician Salim Habayed.
Habayad said the Project would prevent an estimated 300000 cases of AIDs (Acquired immune deficiency syndrome) by the end of the Year 2000 and 20 lakhs more cased after 2000 “in this case India would save more than 500 million dollars in health care costs as well as three Billion dollars in indirect Costs during this decade” he added.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 24, 1992
