Jaipur, Nov 30 (PTI) About eight crore people in the world have been infected with HIV virus, of which more than four crore have died, a former official of the Rajasthan's AIDS control society said Thursday.

In a programme organised on the eve of World AIDS Day, former director of Rajasthan AIDS Control Society and skin diseases specialist Dr Dinesh Mathur said India has played a very important role in the prevention of HIV-AIDS at the international level.

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More than 4 crore people have died due to AIDS with over 8 crore infections since the beginning of the epidemic, Mathur said.

Major General Dr Bijay Saraswat said that uniting in the fight against HIV across the world, showing support for people living with the disease, and preventing AIDS-related diseases are the main themes of World AIDS Day.

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Globally, 12 lakh pregnant women are infected with HIV, gynaecologist Dr Veena Acharya said. She added that HIV-infected women should consult a doctor before conceiving.

Dr Sheetu Singh, a respiratory disease specialist, said the spread of HIV among TB patients is quite common and that HIV-TB co-infection has been diagnosed in more than 18 per cent of the people.

Cardiologist Dr. Ravindra Singh Rao said that high blood pressure and heart disease can be seen in more than 10-30 per cent of HIV-infected adults.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)