MoH&FW announced that anybody who is tested and found positive will get ART irrespective of CD count or clinical stage.
Launching the ‘Test and Treat Policy for HIV’ in New Delhi recently, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, JP Nadda, informed that if a person is tested and found to be positive, he will be provided with anti-retroviral therapy (ART) irrespective of his CD count or clinical stage
“This will be for all men, women, adolescents and children who have been diagnosed as a HIV+ case. This will improve longevity, improve quality of life of those infected and will save them from many opportunistic infections, especially TB,” Nadda informed.
The health minister also announced that India will soon develop a National Strategic Plan for HIV for next seven years and these seven years will be crucial for ending AIDS. He felicitated eight scientists and community workers for their exemplary work in the field of HIV/AIDS.
Laying stress on addressing stigma and discrimination towards HIV, Nadda said that ending stigma is of paramount importance to enable persons infected and affected with HIV access health services.
The health minister further highlighted that the key provisions of HIV/AIDS Bill are prohibition of discrimination, informed consent, non-disclosure of HIV status, anti-retroviral therapy and opportunistic infection management, protection of property of affected children, safe working environment and appointment of ombudsman in every state.
Informing that the health ministry has intensified its efforts to find all those that are estimated to be infected with HIV, Nadda said, “Out of 21 lakh estimated with HIV, we know only 14 lakh. To detect the remaining, we have revised national HIV testing guidelines and are aiming to reach out to people in community and test them where they are, of course with proper counselling and consent.”
He said all those who are positive should get treatment and for that the health ministry is constantly expanding treatment delivery sites. “We have nearly 1600 ART and Link ART sites where treatment is provided across the country and recently we crossed the 1 million people on ART, second country in world to have such large numbers on free lifelong treatment. We have been able to avert 1.5 lakh deaths due to ART and we will be able to avert 4.5 lakh more deaths by expanding provision of ART.”
Stating that MoH&FW has adopted 90:90:90 strategy, Nadda said that it will help to identify 90 per cent of those infected, initiate treatment for 90 per cent of them and ensure 90 per cent have their virus under control. “This strategy will offer us an opportunity to work towards our commitment during HLM and WHA on ‘ending AIDS by 2030’ as a part of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG),” he added.
Addressing the participants at the function, Arun Panda, Additional Secretary (Health) and DG (NACO) said,”About 16 lakh people know they have HIV and we have to make sure that we reach out to each of them.” He further stressed on the need to develop new partnerships.”
Also present at the event were Prakin Suchaxaya, Acting Country Representative, WHO and Oussama Tawil, UNAIDS Country Director in India.