India aims to eliminate HIV in infants by 2015

January 31, 2011

Published: Sunday, Jan 30, 2011, 14:18 IST

By Nozia Sayyed | Place: Pune | Agency: DNA

The National AIDS Control Organisation (Naco) aims to eliminate mother-to-child

transmission of HIV infection from the country by 2015.

According to Naco, in India 40,000 pregnant women test positive for HIV

infection and 12,000 children are born with HIV

infection every year.

Dr BB Rewari, anti-retroviral therapy (ART) chief of Naco revealed this to DNA

on the sidelines of the three-day consultative meet organised by National AIDS

Research Institute (Nari) along with Naco and the Indian Council of Medical

Research.

Rewari said, " We aim at curbing new infections which will help in eliminating

paediatric HIV from India. For this, a guideline — early infant diagnosis — was

launched by Naco last year. Here, dried blood samples are taken from children

below 18 months of age and tested for HIV.

" So far 9,000 children have been screened, out of which 460 tested positive.

Children less than 18 months often miss out on prevention and treatment as they

are asymptomatic. The guideline will help in diagnosing new HIV infection in an

infant. This diagnosis is carried out at all 760 integrated counselling and

treatment centres (ICTC) and 180 ART centres across the country. We plan to

launch more ICTCs and ARTs by February, " he added.

Naco has taken other steps to combat pediatric HIV. Rewari said, " All

institutional deliveries will be counted. All pregnant women will have to

undergo CD4 count tests with consent, so that early treatment measures are

taken. " He said triple drug therapy will be launched in 10 to 15 districts.

Chatterjee said, " In India, a decline of 50% in adult HIV cases has been

noticed. In 2008-09, 1.2 lakh new cases were reported, whereas in 2000 the cases

were almost 2.7 lakh. This impact is because of prevention strategies by Naco. "

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