NEW DELHI: The Government has launched the “Test and Treat policy for HIV patients” in 2017. ”As per this policy, all people living with HIV (PLHIV) are to be treated with Antiretro Viral Therapy regardless of CD4 count, clinical stage, age or population,” Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel has informed the Lok Sabha.
”The Government plans to develop a National Strategic Plan for HIV for ending AIDS for which National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS and STI 2017-24 has been approved in June 2017,” she said.
Under National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS and STI 2017-24, the Government plans to accelerate HIV prevention in key population and ‘at risk group’, expand quality assured HIV testing with universal access to comprehensive HIV care.
”The Government also plans to eliminate mother to child transmission of HIV and syphilis; address the critical enablers in HIV programming and restructure the strategic information system to be efficient and patient-centric,” Ms Patel stated. As per HIV estimation 2015, India is estimated to have 21 lakh people infected with HIV and 15.2 lakhs PLHIV know their HIV status through the strategy of scaling up of HIV counselling and testing services in 23,019 health facilities.
Also, as many as 536 anti-retroviral Therapy centres are providing ART treatment across the country. She noted that the government has revised national HIV testing guidelines to reach out to people in community to test and counsel them.
The National guidelines on HIV counselling and Testing Services were revised in December 2016. They include the HIV screening through trained ancillary health care provider in community based setting for priority population including High Risk Groups, TB suspect and patients, STI/RTI attendees, sexual partners/spouses of PLHIV, prison inmates, pregnant women, adolescent age group among others. (AGENCIES)
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