HIV cases witness downward trend in Tamil Nadu

Chennai: After battling the dreaded HIV virus for more than two decades, Tamil Nadu now successfully reduced the infection rate when compared to previous years, bringing down the incidence of HIV in the state.

Statistics sourced by Deccan Chronicle show a sharp increase in the number of samples tested for HIV, while the HIV positive cases are on a declining trend.

However, the total expenditure of TANSACS on HIV prevention and control in the state has come down from Rs 159.36 lakh in 2013-14 to Rs 20.13 lakh in 2017-18.

While the number of samples tested for HIV was 34,76,688 in 2015-16, it increased to 37,73,530 samples in 2016-17. The total sample tested for 2017- 18 (until January) were 38,19,760.

However, HIV positive cases are on a decreasing trend with 13,315 positive cases in 2015-16, 11,809 in 2016-17 and 8,718 in 2017-18 (till January). Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society (TANSACS) shared the figures to an RTI query on HIV prevalence in Tamil Nadu that was filed by the State Youth Wing Secretary of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) V. Eswaran.

The numbers of pregnant women who tested positive for HIV has also dropped in Tamil Nadu. Out of 9,00,341 pregnant women tested for HIV in 2015-16, 466 tested positive, while the number reduced to 415 in 2016-17 out of the total sample of 9,67,955. In 2017-18 the number of positive cases in pregnant women further declined to 305, while the total samples tested increased to 10,25,665. 28 newborns were tested positive for HIV in 2015-16, while the number decreased to 22 in 2016-17.

Tamil Nadu has AIDS testing centres at all district headquarters with more than 55 Antiretroviral therapy (ART) centres and 750 Integrated (Voluntary) and Confidential Counselling and Testing Centers (ICTC) under the National AIDS Control Programme at district level government hospitals and medical colleges across the state. The affected people are provided free medical facilities at all its centres. The total beneficiaries of free medical facilities at its centres have increased from 92,000 in 2015 to 1,11,000 in 2017-18 (till February).

Apart from a redesigned website and a smartphone application for better counselling and medical facilities for HIV infected people, TANSACS had also announced to intensify awareness programmes on HIV/AIDS prevention.
However, the figures do not reflect the same as the total expenditure by TANSACS on various programmes and schemes for HIV prevention has decreased subsequently.

The total expenditure of TANSACS amounted to '159.36 lakh in 2013-14, ' 33.16 lakh in 2014-15, '90.38 in 2015-16, 53.96 in 2016-17 and 20.13 in 2017-18.

“Though the prevalence of the infection has decreased sharply, the awareness programmes need to be strengthened as Tamil Nadu still has a higher prevalence than the national average of HIV prevalence. Interestingly, the medical facilities have reached more affected people and the testing of pregnant women for HIV has also increased,” said V. Eswaran.

TANSACS project director Dr K. Senthil Raj says that intensified awareness programmes and advanced ART drugs helped to reduce the prevalence over the years.

“Targeting the 14 high prevalence districts in the state along with the assistance of 71 NGOs across Tamil Nadu helped ensure maximum testing of samples. While the mass awareness campaigns since 2013 led to huge expenditure, the awareness campaigns, counselling facilities and even the medical facilities have moved to an online platform, thereby reducing the expenses.”