The report released on Friday indicates that, even though the overall prevalence rate is small (up to 0.5%), there is rising HIV occurrence among susceptible groups at increased risk for HIV virus, comprising sex workers and their customers, and injecting drug users and their partners.

The report, titled "HIV and AIDS in South Asia: An Economic Development Risk" said that despite prevention plans, targeting susceptible groups at high infection risk, are increasing proportionally, these concentrated outbreaks can further escalate.

The report said that AIDS is responsible for 1.5% of all deaths in South Asian region and around 2% of all deaths in India. These numbers of deaths are comparable to the figures from diabetes, TB and measles.

For India, the effect on GDP (0.16%) matches to a one-off loss of about 1.5 weeks of GDP growth.

But, the direct welfare expenditure of increased death and lower life expectancy are more significant that accounts for 3% to 4% of GDP in India and Nepal, respectively.

Mariam Claeson, World Bank HIV and AIDS Coordinator for South Asia said, "Even in the low HIV prevalence countries of South Asia, there cannot be any room for complacency."
 
"While the impact of HIV and AIDS on economic growth is small in South Asia, the welfare cost on households is by no means negligible.”

"HIV and AIDS also have an enormous disproportionate impact on vulnerable and often marginalized people at highest risk of infection, and on poor households with less access to information, preventive services and treatment."

The report said that the economic impact on individual households affected by the disease is large.

In a household study on India, 36% of people having HIV and AIDS who were capable of retaining their jobs nevertheless reported an income loss, which averaged about 9%.

Among those who lost their employment, the income loss was harsh, at about 66%.