Govt to give ART to more HIV patients
Kalyan Ray, New Delhi: Dec 2, 2015, dhns
As HIV/AIDS spread to new states that were not at risk from the disease in the past, the Union Health Ministry has tweaked its policy to provide free drugs to more HIV positive patients.
Almost 47 per cent of new HIV infections in 2015 occurred in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. Of the five, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana included, were the only known high-risk states. It is a clear indication that the disease is spreading to new areas.
The largest number of AIDS deaths is reported in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and West Bengal, which account for 47 per cent of the total AIDS-related deaths.
Other states with high HIV death count are Gujarat, Karnataka, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. New infections are on the rise in Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh.
While there is an overall decline in the HIV infection and deaths due to better availability of anti-HIV drugs, there are 86,000 new infections in 2015 and 21 lakh people are living with the virus. To bring in more patients under the medicine net, the ministry changed the eligibility criteria.
“The cut-off level for initiation of anti retro-viral therapy (ART) will henceforth be a CD4 count of 500. With this decision an additional 1 lakh persons will start receiving the benefits of treatment,” said Health Minister J P Nadda.
For ART, patients are selected on the basis of their immunity status, which is measured by analysing the level of a particular type of immunity cells known as CD4. Currently, anybody with a CD4 count below 350 gets the medicine.
More than two years ago, a technical resource group supporting the national AIDS control scheme suggested expanding the limit up to CD4 count of 500 as several scientific studies indicated HIV treatment worked best when the treatment starts early and before CD4 count dips.
“It has also been decided to offer the third line of treatment to patients who need it. National AIDS Control Organisation has been asked to gear up for these initiatives and we hope to start the actual delivery in the coming weeks”, he said.
Almost 47 per cent of new HIV infections in 2015 occurred in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. Of the five, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana included, were the only known high-risk states. It is a clear indication that the disease is spreading to new areas.
The largest number of AIDS deaths is reported in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and West Bengal, which account for 47 per cent of the total AIDS-related deaths.
Other states with high HIV death count are Gujarat, Karnataka, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. New infections are on the rise in Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh.
While there is an overall decline in the HIV infection and deaths due to better availability of anti-HIV drugs, there are 86,000 new infections in 2015 and 21 lakh people are living with the virus. To bring in more patients under the medicine net, the ministry changed the eligibility criteria.
“The cut-off level for initiation of anti retro-viral therapy (ART) will henceforth be a CD4 count of 500. With this decision an additional 1 lakh persons will start receiving the benefits of treatment,” said Health Minister J P Nadda.
For ART, patients are selected on the basis of their immunity status, which is measured by analysing the level of a particular type of immunity cells known as CD4. Currently, anybody with a CD4 count below 350 gets the medicine.
More than two years ago, a technical resource group supporting the national AIDS control scheme suggested expanding the limit up to CD4 count of 500 as several scientific studies indicated HIV treatment worked best when the treatment starts early and before CD4 count dips.
“It has also been decided to offer the third line of treatment to patients who need it. National AIDS Control Organisation has been asked to gear up for these initiatives and we hope to start the actual delivery in the coming weeks”, he said.
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