Bangalore: HIV prevalence in Karnataka is very high with around 2.75 lakh people currently living with the virus. But targeted prevention interventions have played a significant role in controlling the spread of the virus and mitigating its impact.

HIV sentinel surveillance among ante-natal clinic (ANC) populations in 27 districts over the years shows that the HIV prevalence has come down from 1.6 per cent in 2003 to 0.86 in 2007-08.

In sheer numbers, this reduction in prevalence would reduce the number of HIV-positive newborns by over 2,000 every year.

Karnataka is the only State to have a government Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) centre in every district.