India's HIV/AIDS-affected numbers down by half, gov't says

The number of HIV/AIDS-affected people living in India has fallen to an estimated 2.5 million, just half the number last year, the government announced Friday.

Last year, the government said there 5.2 million people affected by HIV/AIDS.

India had been thought to have the most cases in the world, but with the new estimation it is now listed after South Africa and Nigeria.

Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss told reporters, "In terms of human lives affected, the number is still large, in fact very large. This is very worrying for us."

The revised estimated figure was announced at the launch of the country's new $2.8 billion National AIDS Control Program.

The revised estimate was reached with the help of the United Nations and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Ramadoss expressed concern that numbers of injecting drug users were growing in different parts of the country and increasing the HIV/AIDS risk.