38% decrease in HIV cases in Maha, yet state stands second in transmission rate

Maharashtra ranks second followed by Delhi and Gujarat where HIV is transmitted through blood and blood products. Doctors said National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) records indictated that most of the time, hospitals do not follow the its guidelines of NACO on infected needles.

The country reported more than 38 per cent drop in HIV infections across nine years, according to data from National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO). However, more than half the new infections are concentrated in three states like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Currently, Maharashtra is at the top of the HIV positive list with 28,952 cases in 201617. While unified Andhra Pradesh reported maximum number of HIV cases earlier, the division of the state and the formation of Telengana have now pushed Maharashtra to the top of the table. In 2016-17, Andhra Pradesh had recorded 25,322 cases while Telangana recorded 11,271.

Responding to a RTI query, the Basic Services Division of NACO mentioned that in 2016-17, a total of 1, 84, 047 new HIV patients were identified at Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres (ICTC) as opposed to 2,99,015 in 2008-09.

There are 20,756 ICTC, mainly located in government hospitals of the country. An ICTC is a place where a person is counselled and tested for HIV.

RTI activist Chetan Kothari said the reply mentioned that the maximum number of transmission take place through the heterosexual route. “But transmission from mother to child, homosexuality and through infected blood and blood products are a worry,” a senior doctor said.

On the latest figures for 2016-17, officials said major causes of transmission, as told by patients to the counsellors, were heterosexual intercourse (1,57,666), parent-to-child transmission (8,511), homosexual intercourse (4,051), infected needles and syringes (4,011) and through blood and blood related products (1,487).

Dr. Shrikala Acharya, project director, Mumbai District AIDS Control Society (MDACS), said there has been a 50% reduction in cases in the country overall. “All interventions continue in the same way in Maharashtra. However, it has suddenly moved up the list due to the division of Andhra Pradesh,” Dr. Acharya added.

In the last five years, the data do show a decline in cases. In 2012-13, the state recorded 42,458 cases, which fell to 42,112 cases in 2013-14. The numbers fell further to 37,458 in 2014-15 and to 32,836 in 2015-16.

Mother-to-child transmission still continues to be a worry. In 2016-17, 1,567 newborns were infected through their mothers. Medical experts say with the availability of new drug regimes, the rate of mother-to-child transmission can be brought down to zero.

JJ Hospital has achieved a zero-per cent transmission rate over the past three years by using the multi-drug Nevirapine therapy. “Neviripine is given to the baby for three weeks if the mother is on Anti-Retroviral Therapy since 14th week of pregnancy, and for six weeks if the mother starts ART at 24 weeks, the the transmission can be stopped,” he said.