NEW DELHI, May 23 (Reuters) - The number of people suffering from HIV/AIDS in India, the country with the world's highest caseload, could be more than the official count as many cases are not reported or detected, the finance minister said on Wednesday. India has 5.7 million people living with HIV/AIDS, according to the United Nations. The state-run National Aids Control Organisation (NACO), which spearheads the country's fight against the deadly HIV virus, estimates 5.2 million cases. NACO figures do not include people below 15 years and above 49 years of age. "All reports indicate it (HIV/AIDS) is under-reported and under-detected in the country," Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram told a corporate awards ceremony. "We now recognise it is a serious problem and it is good now we are not in a state of denial anymore." AIDS activists say a lack of awareness and widespread stigma has contributed to paranoia among many people about the virus and forced thousands of patients to hide their infection. Many people, including some federal lawmakers, believe that a person can get HIV by shaking hands with an infected person, surveys have shown. "Some hospitals and many families do not report HIV cases because of social stigma and this should be taken into account," said Denis Broun, UNAIDS chief in India. Some experts say that if India's HIV epidemic does not stabilise, it could impact long-term economic prospects as many of those who are HIV-positive are in their twenties and thirties, ages seen as most productive in their jobs. NACO estimates that out of 165,000 reported AIDS deaths so far, around 50,000 were in the 15-29 year age group. (Additional reporting by Kamil Zaheer and Surojit Gupta)
