To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made in reducing the incidence of HIV and AIDS in India among (a) women, (b) men who have sex with men, (c) injecting drug users, (d) sex workers and (e) prisoners. (233814)

HIV incidence data are difficult to collect on a large scale. According to India's National AIDS Commission, the HIV prevalence rate among women in India fell from 0.36 per cent. in 2002 and 0.27 per cent. in 2007, showing good progress in containing the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the general population. In the same five-year period, the Department for International Development (DFID) contributed over £69 million towards halting the AIDS epidemic in India, working both with Government and directly with civil society

HIV prevalence data for specific high-risk groups only became available India-wide in 2006. The National AIDS Commission reports prevalence among sex workers of 4.9 per cent. in 2006 and 5.1 per cent. in 2007; among injecting drug users of 6.9 per cent. in 2006 and 7.2 per cent. in 2007; and among men who have sex with men of 6.4 per cent. in 2006 and 7.4 per cent. in 2007. No disaggregated data are currently available nationwide on prisoners. DFID's support to the National AIDS Control Programme III began in 2007 and emphasises targeted interventions for high-risk groups.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department has provided to the BBC World Service for campaigns to counter HIV and AIDS in India in each of the last five years. (233815)

The Department for International Development (DFID) provided the following funding to the BBC World Service Trust between 2003 and 2008 for HIV and AIDS campaigns supporting the Government of India's national AIDS control programme: