Chittoor district witnesses significant fall in HIV cases

Tirupati: HIV has been witnessing a declining trend in Chittoor district over the years with 747 positive cases were tested in 2019 till October out of 1,04,827 cases tested with 1.68 percent positivity. In 2014-15 the number of HIV positives were 2,126, which has come down to 786 cases in 2018-19.

National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) also placed Chittoor district under medium low burden category while Visakhapatnam, Kurnool and East Godavari are in high burden category. Speaking to The Hans India on the eve of World AIDS Day, the Additional District Medical and Health Officer (AIDS and Leprosy) Dr C Aruna Sulochana Devi has said that in the absence of preventive vaccine, emphasis is laid on the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS by providing services through various facilities.

Through 10 recognised blood banks every unit of blood collected will be tested for Malaria, Hepatitis, VDRL and HIV. If any positive is found, that person will be picked up for treatment. Through six designated sexually transmitted infections (STI) and reproductive tract infections (RTI) clinics14,822 patients were treated in 2018-19.

Under new concept of 'Test and Treat All', all HIV prositive including ANCs are given ART treatment from 14 weeks of gestation. She said that every HIV patient has to undergo CD IV count test once in every six months and every TB walk-in needs to go for HIV test which is mandatory.

A total of nine NGOs have been working on female sex workers, men having sex with men, migrant workers and truckers etc., and creating awareness in a big way among them. Condoms are being distributed in high risk groups population. On Sunday, two awareness rallies will be taken up in Chittoor and Tirupati in which NGOs, walkers associations, voluntary organisations and others will take part.