Test and Treat policy for HIV: At least 6,000 new patients placed on antiretroviral therapy in last 6 months

Officials said that those who were lost to the follow-up treatment were not traceable while there is another backlog of 27,000 patients. It may be recalled that the Union Health Ministry had intensified its efforts to identify all those estimated to be infected with HIV.

An official notification was issued on May 5 this year on the initiation of ART and as per the revised guidelines, it was decided to “treat all” living with the HIV, regardless of their CD4 cell count (a test that measures the strength of one’s immune system).

CD4 counts are most often used to evaluate the immune system of a person with HIV and a normal count ranges between 500-1,200 cells per cubic millimetre of blood. Earlier, less than 500 persons who had very low CD4 count were put on ART. Currently, there are 10.50 lakh persons with HIV who are on ART in the country.

According to officials, in Maharashtra, out of the backlog of 27,000 patients who were on pre-ART treatment since May this year, a total of 15,000 have been contacted telephonically and urged to start medication irrespective of their CD4 count. “Out of these 15,000 people, we have been able to convince 8,000 to start ART,” officials said.

The challenge faced by several organisations in the field is also to convince the people living with the HIV who are relatively healthy to start taking tablets. “They do not have any symptoms and hence are reluctant to take medication,” MSACS officials said.

Now, with the help of HIV positive network groups, efforts have been taken to encourage those infected with AIDS to enrol for ART. Vihaan programme, with 52 community support centres, has been supporting MSACS’ efforts, officials added. There are 73 ART centres and another 177 Link ART centres across the state that dispenses medicines.