MANGALORE: Even as preparations are afoot to observe World AIDS Day on December 1, the fact that Dakshina Kannada along with Haveri district has one of the lowest human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence rate in Karnataka should come as a big relief to all those involved in the fight against acquired immuno deficiency syndrome (AIDS) locally. The two districts are among 13 districts classified as having low prevalence of HIV.

Districts that have prevalence rate of less that one per cent are classified as low-prevalence districts, those with one to two per cent are medium-prevalence districts and those above two per cent are high-prevalence districts. Dakshina Kannada and Haveri with prevalence rate of 0.4 per cent are in the low prevalence group. It is more heartening to note that the HIV prevalence rate in Dakshina Kannada has come down from one per cent in 2004 to 0.4 per cent in 2005. The officially recorded cases of HIV in the district as provided by the District Health and Family Welfare office here confirms this downward trend. While 521 HIV cases were recorded in 2005, it was 393 at the end of August 2006. The total cases of HIV and AIDS recorded in expectant mothers were 99 in 2004, 103 in 2005 and 56 in 2006. This is indicative of general decline in transmission of the disease from mother to child.

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