Lok Sabha: A new survey on AIDS to be carried out

[Guest guest]

NEW SURVEY ON AIDS TO BE CARRIED OUT

Lok Sabha

The Government proposes to undertake a survey through an external

agency to determine the number of AIDS affected persons in the

country. This information was given by the Health Minister Dr. A

Ramdoss in reply to a starred question in the Lok Sabha today.

The Minister said that the HIV Sentinel Surveillance Round 2003 has

estimated 5.1 million HIV infections in the country. Government

directs and coordinates implementation of a comprehensive national

AIDS prevention and control programme as a 100 per cent centrally

sponsored scheme across all states and union territories in the

country.

The First National AIDS Control Project was implemented from 1992-

1999, and the current Second National AIDS Control Project is being

implemented from 1999 to 2006. Government adopted a National AIDS

Prevention and Control Policy in 2002, which envisages that India

achieve zero level growth of HIV/AIDS in the country by 2007.

Government has adopted a National Blood Policy in 2002, followed by

a detailed Action Plan on Blood Safety in 2003.

The objectives of the Second National AIDS Control Project are:

i. to reduce the rate of growth of HIV infection in India; and

ii. to strengthen India's capacity to respond to HIV/AIDS.

The National AIDS Control Programme has a basket of operational

strategies for prevention of HIV, coupled with strategies for the

care, treatment and support of people living with HIV.

The interventions on prevention focus on:

Preventive Intervention for high-risk population through behavior

change communication, counseling and testing, condom promotion, and

referrals for treatments of sexually transmitted infections. These

are implemented through targeted interventions at high risk sites,

through an enabling environment fostered through awareness

generation, and inter-personal communication;

Preventive Interventions for general population through

dissemination of information, education and communication across all

segments, programmes on safe blood, services for voluntary testing

and counseling, reaching out to adolescents and young adults through

the School AIDS Education Programme and the University Talk AIDS

Programme and awareness generation among out of school youth through

the Nehru Yuva Kendras;

Interventions for low cost care and support through community care

centers, installation of services in ante-natal clinics and prevent

HIV transmission from HIV positive mother to newborn infants,

commonly known as prevention of parent to child transmission,

managing the HIV–TB co-infection, treating people living with

HIV/AIDS for opportunistic infections, and protecting health care

providers with post-exposure prophylaxis;

Government has also recently expanded the agenda on care and support

of people living with AIDS (PHLAs) and introduced anti-retroviral

treatment across six high prevalence states (Tamil Nadu, Andhra

Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Manipur and Nagaland) in 8

designated government hospitals. From August 2004, onwards and

during the current financial year, we will expand the designated

government hospitals from 8 to 25. We will include government

hospitals in moderate HIV prevalence states and low prevalence

states.

Anti retroviral treatment for People Living with HIV/AIDS will help

boost their immune systems and restore quality of life, which in

turn, will enable them to resume an active life.

_____________________

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

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