“Ensure that treatment is available to every person who has tested positive for HIV. For that, we need to trace every patient,” said the Indian Medical Association (IMA).
According to statistics, of 21 lakh people with HIV in India, only 14 lakh are on the registry. About two-thirds of people with HIV/AIDS die due to lack of access to antiretroviral (ART) drugs.
‘90:90:90 strategy’
“With these statistics as the basis, the IMA has adopted the 90:90:90 strategy — to identify 90% of those infected, place 90% of them on treatment and ensure that 90% have the virus under control. This is part of IMA’s commitment on ending AIDS by 2030, which is in line with Sustainable Development Goals,” said IMA president K. K. Aggarwal.
As per the new policy, ART will be provided to anyone who tests positive for AIDS, irrespective of the CD count or the clinical stage they are in. This policy is being propagated in a big way by the IMA and is also being practised by the private sector.
Dr. Aggarwal added that a majority of people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in India lack access to the initial and most important phase of treatment.
“This policy being adopted is for all men, women, adolescents, and children who have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. It will improve the lifespan and quality of life of those infected, and save them from many opportunistic infections, especially TB. These benefits begin even when ART is started in early HIV infection, reducing the risk of HIV transmission as well. This collective step by the IMA is a small step towards the larger goal of ensuring access to ART for all and achieving the target of ending AIDS by 2030,” noted the Association.
ART is an effective way of suppressing serum viral RNA levels and increasing CD4 cell counts in a vast majority of patients with acute and early HIV infection. Initiation of ART after initial HIV infection can help in immune reconstitution to normal or near normal CD4 cell levels. The IMA said ART is available in India since 2004.
“At ART clinics, HIV positive people have access to HTC, nutritional advice, and treatment for HIV and opportunistic infections. The need of the hour is for initiatives that can help provide a larger access to ART for those infected with HIV,” noted Dr. Aggarwal.
Discrimination, stigma
People with AIDS still face much discrimination and stigma in society. Although India’s treatment programme is an example to the world of what can be achieved through committed collaboration, there’s still a long way to go. Much has been learnt from past experiences and it’s important to continue building on the strong foundation created. Free ART, along with care and support services, will ensure timely treatment and a positive outcome on this front.
