Maharashtra: As part of ‘test and treat’ policy, 23,000 more HIV+ persons put on Antiretroviral Therapy

Several organisations in the field also face the challenge of trying to convince people, who are living with HIV and are relatively healthy, to start taking tablets.

3 min readPuneJun 20, 2018 09:05 AM IST

Maharashtra: As part of ‘test and treat’ policy, 23,000 more HIV+ persons put on Antiretroviral Therapy

In the plea, the man claimed discrimination by Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital and Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial Hospital, as well as denial of treatment by their doctors. (Source: File Photo)

As many as 23,000 more HIV positive persons have been placed on antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment across the state, as part of the Centre’s ‘Test and Treat policy for HIV’, which was launched in May last year.

Officials from the Maharashtra State AIDS Control Society (MSACS) said they were able to initiate treatment for 23,000 HIV positive persons in the span of a year. “We still have to place another 7,000 persons on ART,” they said.
There are 2.03 lakh HIV positive persons availing ART in Maharashtra.

Earlier, the Union Health Ministry had intensified its efforts to identify all those estimated to be infected with HIV. On May 5 last year, an official notification was issued 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.

Officials admitted that it was a challenge to identify people who were HIV positive but didn’t suffer from any symptoms. Several organisations in the field also face the challenge of trying to convince people, who are living with HIV and are relatively healthy, to start taking tablets. “They do not have any symptoms and are reluctant to take medication,” said MSACS officials.

Some HIV positive persons also migrate to other places and reaching out to them, and convincing them to start treatment again, is another challenge, they said.

On an average, every year, around 22-23,000 new HIV cases are detected across Maharashtra. Now, with the help of the HIV positive network groups, efforts have been taken to encourage them to enroll for ART. There are 73 ART centres and 178 Link ART centres across the state to dispense medicines. Link ART centres are subsidiary centres to dispense medicines, set up to minimise travel time and inconvenience for HIV positive persons.

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A total of 8,131 persons, who have failed the first line of treatment, have now been started on second line drugs. State AIDS Clinical Expert panels, which include a gynaecologist, pathologist and others, have been appointed at 12 medical colleges. They review the case and then recommend second line treatment. While B J Medical college has a panel, another one has been set up at the Armed Forces Medical College.

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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