Though Andhra Pradesh has recorded a marginal drop in HIV positive cases in the last two years, the government is worried about the occurrence of new cases in Guntur district would tarnish the image of the new capital city Amaravati, which is being built in the district.
Between April and September last year, HIV tests were conducted on 4.9 lakh people across the state. Of them, 12,742 people were found positive and 42 per cent of the positive cases were found in Guntur, Krishna and East Godavari districts. During 2015-16, 24,957 new HIV cases were recorded in the state, of which 3,781 cases were registered in Guntur, 3,538 in East Godavari and 2,693 in Krishna district.