Now, an oral test to detect HIV, NARI study to assess accuracy

The Indian Council of Medical Research’s scientific committee has given the go-ahead to NARI for the project. It is like a pregnancy test kit and the confirmatory diagnosis is done later.

Prevention of new HIV infections continues to be the mainstay of India’s national AIDS response. (Representational/Express photo by Partha Paul)

On the lines of the home-based pregnancy test kit, scientists at the National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) are undertaking a study to assess the accuracy of an oral saliva test for HIV infection. “The HIV oral saliva self-test is an indigenous one and we are validating how good these tests are,” Dr Samiran Panda, Director of NARI, told The Indian Express. The easy-to-use and cost-effective test will help increase HIV screening rates and also enable early diagnosis, he added.

The Indian Council of Medical Research’s scientific committee has given the go-ahead to NARI for the project. It is like a pregnancy test kit and the confirmatory diagnosis is done later. But the important aspect of the pregnancy test kit is that the control is in the woman’s hand. Likewise, people, who still feel there is a stigma attached to being detected with HIV, will find it easier to conduct the initial self-test, Dr Panda added.

“These tests are available in the US and France and what we are doing at NARI is to examine the performance of an indigenously developed oral saliva test for HIV infection. At the same time, qualitative studies will be undertaken to find out the acceptability rate among people. This study will take at least three months to complete,” he said.

Prevention of new HIV infections continues to be the mainstay of India’s national AIDS response. By the end of 2017, there were an estimated 21.40 lakh people living with HIV. The HIV incidence per 1,000 uninfected people is estimated to have declined from 0.64 in 1995 to 0.07 in 2017.

However, the pace of decline has been slow. ICMR officials pointed out that when people living with or at risk of HIV are discriminated against, they do go underground. This then poses a huge challenge to reach people for HIV testing, treatment and prevention. In-depth interviews will be conducted with the high-risk group to find out the acceptability of such a test, Dr Panda said.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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