HIV cases decrease in Godavari districts

Kakinada: HIV/AIDS cases have decreased in Godavari districts due to increasing awareness among the people in vulnerable areas.

In Kakinada district, 591 non-ANC cases have been reported this year and two baby cases were infected.

The Kakinada district leprosy, AIDs, and tuberculosis control officer R. Ramesh said two babies were born HIV positive. In the Kakinada district, there were 591 cases this year against 1,078 cases the last year, and 23 ANC cases were reported as against 29 cases the last year.

Some 14,938 adults and 106 children are using ART Medicine in the district.

Konaseema's additional district medical and health officer Bharat Lakshmi said there was prevention of parent-to-child transmission in relation to cases recorded from April 2022 to October 2023. Among the exposed children, 33 were tested, of which all 33 were found HIV negative.

She said people with high-risk behaviour are tested for HIV every six months, screened for commodities, and given regular ART medication for everyone with HIV. The East Godavari district ADMHO N Vasundhara said 285 cases were found HIV positive this year against 747 last year.

Meanwhile, in Kakinada, Konaseema, and East Godavari districts, AIDS awareness rallies were held.

Kakinada district collector Kritika Shukla said self-confidence should be inculcated and combined efforts were needed to curb HIV spread.

The district administration provided lunch to HIV children at Kakinada. Kritika Shukla, MLC Padmasri, JNTUK vice chancellor Prasada Raju, and others partook in the lunch.

ONGC officials provided nutrition kits to the HIV children. East Godavari collector Madhavi Latha and DSP Jagadish exhorted the people not to show discrimination against the HIV-hit. District legal services authority secretary K Prathyusha Kumara and others were present.