The HIV test positivity rate (TPR) in Karnataka, which has been one of the top three States with the highest number of people living with HIV (PLHIV), has been on a declining trend in the last five years.
While the HIV TPR in women under antenatal care (ANC) has reduced from 0.06% in 2017-2018 to 0.04% in 2021-2022, in general clients tested at the Integrated Counseling and Testing Centres (ICTCs), it has dropped from 0.85% in 2017-2018 to 0.41% in 2021-2022.
According to data from the Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society (KSAPS) in 2021-2022, 22,33,494 general clients were counselled and tested with a positivity rate of 0.41% and 12,45,905 women under ANC were counselled and tested with a positivity rate of 0.04%.
In 2022-2023 (till October end), 18,65,141 general clients were counselled and tested with a positivity rate of 0.41% and 8,37,709 women under ANC were counselled and tested with a positivity rate of 0.04%.
Currently, 71 Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) centres and 303 Link ART centres are functioning in the State. Of the 3,73,317 cumulative number of HIV cases registered at ART centres till October 2022, 1,76,113 cases are alive and on ART. As many as 94,315 deaths of patients on ART have been reported so far. These include 2,841 children, according to data.
Targeted Intervention
KSAPS Additional Director Ramesh Chandra Reddy V. told The Hindu that the most effective means of controlling the spread of HIV is through the implementation of Targeted Intervention (TI) programmes. “KSAPS has been implementing the TI programme covering high-risk group population in all districts,” he said.
At present, the TI programme is covering 97,991 female sex workers, 43,629 males having sex with males, 3,192 transgenders, 2,234 Injecting drug users, 15,200 migrants, and 80,000 long-distance truckers.
Pointing out that the mother-to-child Transmission (MCT) of HIV is the primary route of transmission for HIV among children, Dr. Reddy said: “This transmission is known to occur during pregnancy, delivery, and breast-feeding period with equal frequency. It is estimated that without any intervention, the risk of transmission of HIV from infected mother to her child is between 20% to 45%.”
Prevention of transmission
In Karnataka, the Prevention of Parent to Child Transmission (PPTCT) programme was implemented in 2002 with emphasis on registration of mothers for antenatal care, HIV testing, institutional deliveries, and continuum of care.
“The programme was a single pronged approach with administration of single dose Nevirapine to the mother during delivery and to the child soon after birth. This continued till September 2012 and the State adopted the WHO guidelines on PPTCT (test and treat policy) on the directives of NACO in all States since January 2014,” the doctor said.
“The decline in HIV prevalence has been possible through aggressive ANC testing, public-private partnership, periodic reviews and data quality assessment, telemedicine activities and integration with Mother and Child Health programmes. We are gearing up to meet the goal of UNAIDS to eliminate Mother to child transmission by 2025,” he said.
