Second phase of anti-retroviral programme begins-Tamilnadu,INDIA

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Second phase of anti-retroviral programme begins

Tamil Nadu, on Thrusday, launched the second phase of the national programme to

provide anti-retroviral (ARV) free to persons living with HIV/AIDS. The first

centre to provide ARVs to pregnant women and their partners was started at the

Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists (IOG), here.

Pregnant women who report to the IOG will be encouraged to test for HIV after

counselling at the Prevention of Parent to Child Transmission (PPTCT) project

already in place there. If they test positive and have a CD4 count of less than

200, indicative of very low immunity, then they will be roped into the ARV

programme inaugurated there this week.

While provisions have been made to provide for about 150 women, their partners

and children, wherever necessary, it could be increased based on demand,

officials said.

The woman will have to report to the Centre, where she will be given a stock of

ARV drugs for a period of 30 days. The first time, she will be admitted into the

hospital for between seven and 10 days in order to observe her for drug

tolerance. Tie-ups with local NGOs have also been effected so that field level

workers can follow up on the patient to ensure that he/she takes the drugs

regularly, explaining the dangers of not adhering to the prescribed regimen.

At the hospital, in addition to drugs, the pregnant woman and her partner will

be provided information on nutrition, personal hygiene, and adherence to ARTs,

besides treatment for opportunistic infections. Periodic testing for CD4 count,

renal and liver functions will also be carried out. While initially, CD4 count

testing will be done at the Tamil Nadu MGR University, efforts are on to buy a

machine for the centre in the IOG. This project will be financed by the Global

Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and Malaria, which has sanctioned Rs.2.18

crores for centres in Tamil Nadu.

Recognition

Doctors at the IOG explain that the hospital has already been recognised as a

centre of excellence to execute the PPTCT programme implemented in 282 centres

all over the country. As part of this, pregnant women are given a single dose of

Never-apine just before delivery to prevent transmission. The new borns are also

given an oral dose of the drug by 72 hours after birth.

Globally it has been established that Nevarapine dosage brings down the

transmission of HIV from mother to children from 30 per cent to about 8-10 per

cent and has met similar success in India as well. As a result, the National

AIDS Control Organisation, New Delhi is planning to increase the number of such

centres all over the country, beginning with the five high prevalence states of

Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Nagaland and Manipur, S.Y.Quraishi, its

project director said.

Incorporating ARVs into the PPTCT project adds value, providing a source of

support for pregnant women with low immunity levels and meagre finances.

Hitherto, there was no provision to treat them with ARVs and they were forced to

go to other centres such at the Tambaram Institute for Thoracic Medicine to get

access these life-saving drugs free of cost.

Source: The Hindu, February 28, 2005. Madurai.