Dimapur/Guwahati, Oct. 20: Alarmed by the rapid spurt in HIV/AIDS in the Northeast, chief ministers and legislators of the region will come together in Guwahati on November 19 for what could well be the launch of a joint war against the disease.

The National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) has identified the region as the country’s AIDS time-bomb, with almost 50 per cent of the population vulnerable.

The Guwahati conclave, to be presided over by Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi, will also be attended by Peter Piot, executive director of the UNAIDS programme.

Piot’s presence, sources said, would ensure that the “real picture” of the region HIV/AIDS scene reaches global agencies involved in tackling the disease.

A young generation hooked to intravenous drugs and a promiscuous lifestyle ? mainly in Manipur and Nagaland ? plus other factors are rapidly pushing up the number of patients.

Manipur alone has 2,866 AIDS patients. Nagaland’s figure was pegged at 736 as on June 2005.

Among the other states, Assam has 225 HIV/AIDS cases, Mizoram 106 and Meghalaya eight. Arunachal Pradesh is yet to enter the HIV/AIDS map.

The conclave will discuss ways and means of sharing data, monitoring the situation on a regular basis and enhancing counselling to high-risk groups.

It will be the first-ever conclave of chief ministers of the region on the subject. It will come in the wake of a similar meeting by Assam Rifles in Shillong recently to spread awareness in the paramilitary force.

“Manipur and Nagaland are high-prevalence states, but the disease is spreading to other states,” a Union government source said while explaining the need for such a conclave.

UNAIDS national programme officer Anand Tiwari said here the situation in the region was alarming as there is no indication of “plateauing of the increase in HIV/AIDS cases”.

He said antenatal clinics in the region had few visitors and states were moving towards high prevalence. States are now being categorised into high-risk and highly vulne-rable.

Nagaland has a legislators’ forum to address the issue of HIV/AIDS in that state.

The conclave will discuss awareness about and prevention of HIV/AIDS as well as care and support for patients.

“We are expecting a declaration to be issued and a forum floated to address the issue,” Tiwari added.

In the present phase of combating the menace, anti-retroviral drug use is being managed for AIDS patients.

Officials of the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) said unless urgent steps were taken, India would overtake South Africa in HIV/AIDS prevalence.

India stands second in the world with 5.134 million HIV/AIDS patients, next only to South Africa, which has 5.6 million affected people.