Current Social Issues in India

HIV AND DRUG ABUSE IN INDIA

India being one of the developing countries in the world is also facing challenges on social issues such as HIV and Drug abuse.

       India is one of the countries where HIV and drugs usage has been increasing.We find alot of youth using cannabis,opiates and prescription drugs because of the easy availability.

                  Earlier reports have shown that sharing needles (IDU) is driving a new infection in the north-eastern states of the country like Manipur,Mizoram and Nagaland areas where intake of heroin is more.IDU has increased from 0.9% to 1.7% for HIV injection and Andhra Pradesh & Punjab are at a higher risk.

               In recent reports,it has shown that use of illicit drugs is widely spread in India.The use of cocaine among people has increased,opium is being used by population in north-western parts of the country and migrated population are highly indulged in prescription painkillers such as oxycotin. 

               Increase in HIV has made public health experts to ask the governments to decriminalize drug users & lift bans on drugs methadone and burenorphine which is used in De-addiction centers for substitution maintenance therapy.Scientific evidence should be incorporated into illicit drug policies that are pushing injectors from prevention & care services infections.

               In 2008,HIV in adult has dropped in India from 0.45 to 0.29 but Andhra Pradesh still shows 1% infection down.Whereas,unprotected & unhygienic physical relationship (87% heterosexual & 1.5% homosexual) still remains the main route for the transmission of disease.

                Now a days world is focusing on innovations in medical sciences,diagnostics to understand the virus.Whereas India still sticks on to its old tested methods of preventing the disease such as preventing mother to child transmission,preventing from usage of infected syringes or blades,physical relation with same gender,injecting drug users and people who are indulged in illegal physical relation work.

                It is one of the main issues in the Public health safety measures.in which India is taking alot of preventive steps & make people aware of this deadly disease.