Awareness drives have resulted in decline in HIV infections in Goa.
Awareness drives have resulted in decline in HIV infections in the coastal state of Goa and the state hopes to achieve zero rate of infections by 2025, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said on Tuesday.
"The new HIV infections are on a decline since 2008.This is due to awareness created by Goa Aids Control Society and various NGOs," he told reporters in Panaji.
"The rate of new infections which was around 1,000 annually till 2008 started declining due to awareness drives.
In the year 2015, total 345 infections were reported in the state. But we are still not happy," the Chief Minister said. "We want zero infections by 2025, which is five years before the rest of the world meets the target," he added.
Mr Parsekar recalled that the first HIV case was reported in the coastal state in the year 1987 and the affected patient was a foreigner.
"Second case was registered in the year 1988 and he was non-Goan. The first case of Goan student affected with HIV was reported in the year 1989," he said.