Though the officials of KSAPS sought more funds from NACO, New Delhi, the organisation has agreed to provide Rs. 39 crore in the first year of the Third National HIV/AIDS Control Project. KSAPS had received Rs. 31 crore in the last financial year. NACO had not yet released the funds to the society, official sources in the Government told The Hindu on Friday.

The society will support the Government’s efforts to prevent the spread and mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS in the State, by assisting in improving prevention programmes, and amplifying care, support, and treatment of people living with HIV/AIDS in various districts.

NACO has been implementing the Third National HIV/AIDS Control Project, for which the World Bank agreed to provide credit of $ 250 million. The Union Government has embarked on an ambitious goal of halting and reversing the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2011, ahead of the 2015 target of the eighth Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations.

According to NACO’s Annual Sentinel Surveillance Data, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS cases in the State declined by 7 per cent during 1998-2006. Cases also declined in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh during the same period. According to Government data, 10,589 HIV/AIDS cases have been reported in the State from 1987 to 2006. The highest number of cases had been reported from Udupi district (1,804), followed by Dakshin Kannada (1,679), Belgaum (1,620), Bangalore City (1,483), Davangere (1,010) during the period. According to estimates, India had 5.2 million HIV/AIDS patients (people aged between 15-49 years) in 2005.

Funds will be used to scale up interventions in highly vulnerable sections of society, such as long distance truckers.