The Kerala State AIDS Control Society (KSACS) will set up 10 more voluntary testing centers for HIV in the State soon, according to its project director M N Gunavardhanan. He said that as many as 1500 tests were carried out at the existing four testing centers in Thiruvanthapuram, Kozikode, Palakkad last year. Of these 266 cases were found HIV positive. He admitted that very few people were coming for voluntary tests at these centers because of the inadequate publicity given to these centers.

According to the estimates, there are over 70,000 HIV positive cases in the State. A large number of these cases pertained to persons who had contracted the disease outside the State. About 1200 AIDS deaths had taken place in the State so far of which majority were in the northern parts of the State.

As part of its disease prevention programme, the KSACS in association with the NGOs would also launch a sensitization programme aimed at 40 lakh Malayali population in Mumbai.

Majority of the HIV positive cases in the State were due to heterosexual activities, only five percent cases were found to be due to the use of infected needles and intravenous drug.