-
Increasing access to HIV testing: The new WHO/UNAIDS guidelines to increase the chances of HIV detection
Believe it or not, nearly 80 per cent of people in low and middle-income countries seem to be just unaware that they are infected with HIV.
To read more log on to : www.hinduonline.com
Not everyone in the developed countries is aware of his/her status. That about 2.5 lakh people living in the US are ignorant of their HIV positive status indicates that not everything is fine with the current detection and prevention strategies.
Keeping this ignorance in mind Atlanta base Centers of Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention had last September recommended that all patients in all health-care setting be tested for HIV. Of course the CDC had made it clear that testing can be done only with the consent of the individual.
7th June 2007
HIV count not as high as touted: could be as low as 3.5 million
A thorough recount of India's HIV/AIDS population this year shows that the number of HIV cases could be as low as 3.5 million, down from the US estimates of 5.7 million. The National Aids Control Organisation put India's HIV/AIDS population in 2006 as 5.2 million.
Health minister Anbumani Ramadoss said "Though the data has not been collated yet, trends in highly prevalent states show that the number may drop this year. What I can say now is this year's data is most representative ever, with people being tested anonymously for HIV/AIDS from 1,164 sentinel sites across country", says Ramadoss. The estimates for 2007 are expected to be ready by end of June.
The estimate of 3.5 million echoes the National Family Health Survey-3 findings, which put the number of HIV positive people at 2.8 million.
NACO director general Sujatha Rao says a decline is possible this year, but not very drastic. "The lower estimates are from preliminary and partial data that has not been collated yet and we cannot use it to reach final estimates. Although prevalence in antenatal clinics has shown a decline in some southern states, high levels of infection among the groups at higher risk, such as men who have sex with men, and Injecting Drug Users are of concern," says Rao.
To read more log on to: www.hindustantimes.com
9th June 2007NACP III to be launched on July 6: Aims at preventing new infections in high-risk groups
The third phase of the ambitious National Aids Control Programme (NACP) will be launched on July 6 when the government will also release the latest HIV/AIDS figures. According to the National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) Director General, Sujatha Rao, the Rs 11,585-crore progrmme will focus on prevention and treatment. Of this amount, the Government will provide Rs. 8,023 crore programme while the remaining amount will be funded by external agencies.
Epidemic expanding
Speaking at a workshop on AIDS here, Ms Rao said HIV epidemic in India continued to be largely concentrated in high risk groups. However, there was evidence that more women were building infected and that the epidemic was spreading to rural areas. The NACP III builds on lessons from earlier programmes and addresses these new trends, she added.
To read more log on to: http://www.hindu.com/2007/06/30/stories/2007063056091500.htm
Visit
Our Site | 
Contact
Us