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Scoop
01-08-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Protect The Lifelines Of Youth And Community-Led HIV Programmes
Youth-led, rights-based and gender transformative HIV response is key. 'Community-led programmes are lifelines of the HIV response, reaching those most in need. As international aid shrinks, these lifelines are the first to disappear. We must protect them,' said UNAIDS. One such lifeline is youth-led programmes for HIV prevention and treatment. We need to protect it. Latest AIDS data released in July 2025 shows that number of those newly diagnosed with HIV and those who died of AIDS-related illnesses in 2024 have declined compared to 2010 levels. But there is hardly any change between 2023 and 2024 data for new HIV infections and AIDS-related illnesses which is worrying. Young people, particularly adolescents, continue to face unique challenges in accessing HIV prevention and treatment services. Together for change: Youth, Unity and Impact Youth voices unequivocally called for a rights-based, youth-friendly and gender transformative HIV, health and social welfare responses where no one is left behind. In lead up to International Youth Day 2025, around 150 young people living with HIV and in all gender diversities, came together from across India at National Youth Conclave 3.0 organised by Youth Lead Voices, National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, and National Coalition of People Living with HIV in India (NCPI Plus), along with partners including UNICEF, Plan India, Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpiC), among others. Young leaders shared their journeys on HIV prevention, early testing, mental health and HIV treatment adherence - reminding us that every story deserves to be heard. Unless we listen to youth voices how will we unlearn, learn and better understand issues faced by them? More importantly, unless we listen without judgement or stereotype, how will we engage the young in finding effective solutions to the problems? Dr Chinmoyee Das, a senior official from the Government of India's National AIDS Control Organisation patiently and sensitively listened to the voices of the young – and responded to every issue they had collectively raised. A bold and visionary conversation between youth and key policymakers at National Youth Conclave 3.0 focussed on building safer, healthier, and more inclusive futures. Make a difference by engaging youth meaningfully, genuinely at all levels of HIV responses Youth Lead Voices connects over 1,860 young people living with HIV across India. All of them (100%) have undetectable viral load since last one year, confirms Pooja Mishra, National Coordinator of Youth Lead Voices (YLV) and General Secretary of National Coalition of People Living with HIV in India (NCPI Plus). Undetectable viral load means that the person lives healthy, and according to the WHO, there is zero risk of any further HIV transmission – so treatment works as prevention too. 'We have to maintain viral load undetected status for all of them while we expand our network and impact,' said Pooja Mishra. Young people are essential partners in designing, implementing and monitoring effective solutions to health and social challenges they face – with support from the government and all other stakeholders. 'We need to explore new entry points for reaching the at-risk youth community for offering voluntary HIV counselling and testing. We also need to strengthen youth-friendly screening strategies among youth including community-based screening for HIV. We should continue providing peer-support and active engagement with them to maintain optimal treatment adherence among young people living with HIV,' added Pooja Mishra. Tanmay, an energetic leader of Youth Lead Voices, moderated the session. Anurag- another talented leader of Youth Lead Voices, expressed his personal experiences and journeys using poetry and recital medium. Anurag hails from Uttar Pradesh state of India, who was first diagnosed with HIV in 2009 at the age of 9. He shared what he felt back then after getting diagnosed: a feeling of hopelessness and despair. It was only when he connected with peer networks of people living with HIV such as NCPI Plus, his life inched back towards positive and healthy living. He now supports others to stay healthy with a positive outlook towards life – because science has made it possible for every person with HIV to live healthy, normal and meaningful lifespans – just like anyone else (comparable to those with no HIV). Moreover, when viral load is undetectable, then virus stops spreading and person lives healthy. Anurag said that peer support mattered a lot –in getting tested, counselled, and supported in so many ways including for treatment adherence. A lot of leaders of Youth Lead Voices including Gunjan, Prashant and Bhawna shared challenges they face and/or recommendations to help improve HIV responses on the ground. 'Educational curriculum must have more on HIV – such as HIV combination prevention options, voluntary HIV counselling and testing, lifesaving antiretroviral therapy, undetectable equals untransmittable or #UequalsU,' said a youth. #UequalsU is when a person living with HIV is on lifesaving antiretroviral treatment and viral load is undetectable so that HIV is untransmittable to anyone else. 'Quality of counselling at antiretroviral therapy centres is not satisfactory. Counsellors are too busy to give enough time for young people,' shared another youth. A female orphan person shared that 'she can stay in care homes till the age of 18 years – and after that the only option she knows is the care centre for over 18 years run by Gujarat State Network of People living with HIV (GSNP+). Government needs to support young people with HIV after the age of 18 too so that they can get duly educated and employed with rights and dignity. A female youth from old Delhi pointed towards low HIV awareness among young people and struggle they go through for disclosing their status. Another youth brought forth an important reality check: 'Often children and young people get to know of their status when they faced health issues or somehow were offered HIV voluntary, counselling and testing. We can do better in offering HIV test and helping people know their status earlier – so that they can take care of themselves.' A youth from Uttarakhand state of India highlighted the importance to leverage upon social media platforms for communications as well as engaging with the young people who may need help, support and guidance. There were many other young people in the room who too voiced in support of strengthening social media outreach – but smartly! Messages need to connect and resonate with the youth. Another youth brought forth how she misses educational lectures or college because of having to go every month to collect her next month's stock of lifesaving antiretroviral therapy. She too called for more support for orphan children diagnosed with HIV after they become 18 (till then they can stay at care centre). 'We need support to get our right with equity to education, employment.' She pointed out that HIV related stigma and discrimination still lurks as many young people with HIV, are denied jobs upon disclosure of their status. 'We knew about HIV. But we only use (male) condoms for reducing the risk of unplanned pregnancy (not HIV and other STIs),' said another youth bringing home the reality of (mis)communication: male and female condoms offer high protection from unplanned pregnancies, as well as a range of sexually transmitted infections including HIV. Seek help with rights, it could be available Government of India's apex programme on HIV (National AIDS Control Organisation – NACO)'s senior official Dr Chinmoyee Das responded that they would consider all input from the young people to the drafting of next phase of national AIDS control programme (NACP-6). 'But we can address a lot of issues without having to wait for NACP-6, right now.' She emphasised on better utilisation of government of India's tollfree helpline 1097 phone-in number which provides information on HIV as well as sexually transmitted infections in several Indian languages, nationwide. Government of India is investing in raising awareness such as via painted messages on public transport buses. A youth shared his user experience of 1097: he preferred to speak in Bengali language on 1097 tollfree helpline but after 3 unsuccessful attempts, gave up. Dr Chinmoyee promised to take this feedback to appropriate review meetings. Dr Chinmoyee Das of the NACO encouraged young people to reach out to official complaints officer appointed in every institution. If there is not an officer like this, then report to state AIDS control societies, she said. Be the messenger to help #endAIDS Dr Chinmoyee Das appealed to all young people to be the messenger to help spread and amplify correct messages around HIV combination prevention, HIV voluntary counselling and testing, 1097 tollfree helpline, HIV/AIDS Act, 2017 (to end stigma and discrimination), among others issues. We also must ensure that confidentiality of young people with HIV is protected all through the care continuum, she said. NACO's Dr Chinmoyee Das complemented NCPI Plus for making treatment literacy workshops successful 'and for being the messenger.' She confirmed that now onwards, for those (young or old) stable on lifesaving antiretroviral therapy, multi-months dispensing (instead of a month's supply) should be a reality. This should be happening across India. Dr Chinmoyee Das of NACO addressed the issue faced by orphans with HIV that as they can live in care centres till age of 18. She agreed the support should be extended to 5-7 more years – but this is currently being discussed as NACP-6 is getting shaped. 'There are state-specific schemes for livelihood, education, social welfare, etc, as well as through National Health Mission, so those must be fully utilised too,' she said. Greater involvement of youth in decision-making 'National Coalition of People living with HIV in India (NCPI Plus) is going to consider in its next board meeting if leadership of 'Youth Lead Voices' can be represented on NCPI Plus board,' confirmed Manoj Pardeshi, co-founder of NCPI Plus, TAAL Pharmacy and Network of Maharashtra People living with HIV or NMP Plus. 'I have witnessed Youth Lead Voices (YLD) to grow from 440 young people with HIV (on a WhatsApp group) a year back, to over 1860 young people with HIV across the country' said Sumita Taneja, EpiC, Country Representative at FHI 360 India. 'Over 800 of them are from priority states.' 'It gives me hope to see that HIV related public health messaging and communications done by Plan India and NACO is more youth-friendly and designed, conceptualised and implemented in a way which is more likely to resonate with the targeted young people,' said Simran Sheikh of Plan India. Simran is a noted human rights crusader since several years. No child should be born with HIV In Asia Pacific region, there are 120,000 children (aged between 0-14 years) who are living with HIV. Indonesia comprises 26% of the regional total of new HIV infections among children, followed by India (23%) and Papua New Guinea (8%). All 3 infections of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis-B, can be transmitted from women to their newborns during pregnancy and childbirth. In addition, HIV can be transmitted during breastfeeding too. Despite knowing how to prevent vertical transmission (from mother to the baby) of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis-B infections, we are failing with every child who is born with either of these preventable infections. We have the science-backed tools to ensure that all children are born free of these three infections. Failing to deploy them with utmost effectiveness is highly unacceptable. Let us all remind ourselves that medicines like zidovudine was first used in rich nations over 30 years ago (in 1994) to reduce HIV risk of the unborn child of HIV positive parent(s). Today we have far more effective treatment regimens available to ensure children are born free of HIV - and both mother and the child live healthy and normal lives. "Indian government's programme (prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV) has been running since 2003. I think it is high time that no child should be born with HIV," rightly said Dr Asha Hegde, Director South Asia, Family Health, Advisory Director Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases at PATH. She added that we need to do more for children and young people between 10-18 years age group too. Dr Asha Hegde shared a positive example from Churachandpur, Manipur, India where there is a safe space co-created with local partners for young people. "We have built the agency of the younger population," she said while complementing Youth Voices Lead too - which resonates with the spirit driving the safe space project in Churachandpur. "Now we are slowly providing and offering services for HIV voluntary counselling and testing, refills of lifesaving antiretroviral therapy, opioid substitution therapy or harm reduction services, among others." Latest UNAIDS 2025 data shows that key populations have higher HIV risk. Four of every five (79%) new infections in Asia Pacific region were among key populations and their partners. Criminalisation and marginalisation deepen their vulnerability, making it harder to reach them with services. Let us hope that National Youth Conclave 3.0 results in stronger and urgent person-centred actions to prevent new HIV infections as well as for better programmes to provide treatment, care and support with rights and dignity to all those in need. Shobha Shukla, Bobby Ramakant – CNS (Citizen News Service)
India Today
27-07-2025
- Health
- India Today
From death certificate to marriage certificate: Journey of HIV-positive Indians
Tarun (name changed), a Mumbai resident, was diagnosed HIV-positive and was only given 30 days to live. He defied the prognosis, and has been living with the virus for 23 years now. But back in 2002, the news that someone had tested positive for HIV was nothing short of a death before the virus killed, social rejection and emotional distress killed those with has been leading a near-normal life for 23 years, thanks to advancements in antiretroviral therapy (ART), family support and peer individuals now have a lifespan that is close to that of uninfected people. It is now, more than ever, that they are seeking companionship for the long now 46, is healthy, married, and living what he calls "a full life". His wife, Anushka (name changed), is also HIV-positive. Together, they are parents to a biological daughter, who is HIV-negative, and an adopted must be noted that India had an estimated 23.48 lakh people living with the virus in 2019 – the third-highest burden of HIV in the world – according to a National AIDS Control Organisation (Naco) India Today Digital spoke to said the country today has around 2.5-3 million HIV-positive people, roughly a third of whom fall in the marriage bracket of 21-35 years."Today, more HIV-positive people are getting married compared to a decade ago," Anjali Gopalan, founder and executive director of The Naz Foundation (India) Trust, told India Today Digital."HIV-positive individuals are now even marrying HIV-negative people," said Gopalan, whose organisation has extensively worked with issues related to HIV/AIDS and sexuality for over three MK, advocacy officer with Mumbai-based Humsafar Trust, a support group for people living with HIV (PLHIV), also said that marriages among HIV-positive people are on the rise as compared to a decade HIV-positive individuals, even the way of finding partners is seemingly online matrimony platforms like and have emerged. Matrimony major recently launched a section for HIV-positive brides and experts and HIV-positive individuals told India Today Digital that most people from the community seeking partners do so offline, primarily through annual meet-ups organised by Naco. Experts said even the World Health Organisation (WHO) plays a small role in the the coming up of online matrimonial platforms and Jeevansathi's exclusive section is a signal of a positive shift in India's HIV/AIDS JOURNEY FROM DEATH CERTIFICATE TO MARRIAGE CERTIFICATETarun, a chef returning from a cruise-liner job, was diagnosed with HIV during a routine check-up in and scared, he hid the diagnosis from his mother for nine months. By the time she found out, the doctor had given him 30 days to live. But his mother's support kept him he stuck to medication, a healthier lifestyle and diet, and regular check-ups, Tarun's immunity and outlook improved. He left his job as a chef, fearing a simple kitchen injury could stir a panic about HIV transmission, and took up work at a call centre years passed, he became a peer counsellor day, he was asked to speak with an HIV-positive woman from Raipur who had faced abuse from her in-laws after losing her husband to AIDS. He didn't expect that this woman, by the end of counselling, would become his friend, and ultimately his might have found his life partner by chance while counselling, but most HIV-positive people find their spouses either at meet-ups or the matrimonial sites that have come COUPLES AND SAFE CHILDBIRTHThe journey of Tarun and Anushka, both HIV-positive individuals, helps us understand some of the struggles that such couples marriage, childbirth is where they faced the next big challenge."When we planned to have a baby, many hospitals turned us away because we were both HIV-positive," Tarun said. "The discrimination came from everyone – receptionists, ward boys, nurses, and even doctors."The couple were wrongly told they couldn't have an HIV-negative child."If the mother is HIV-positive, she is placed on lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) to suppress the virus to undetectable levels. With proper adherence, this reduces the risk of transmission to the baby to less than 1%," Dr Rashmi Singh, a Delhi-based medicine specialist, told India Today Digital."During childbirth, if the mother's viral load is under control, a vaginal delivery is also considered safe, but just to be sure, most gynaecologists recommend a C-section delivery," she the process after the baby is delivered, Singh said, "After birth, the infant is given preventive medication for several weeks, and is monitored through regular HIV testing up to 18 months of age."In cases where only the father is HIV-positive, Singh added, "Assisted reproductive technologies such as sperm washing followed by intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilisation (IVF) can be used. These methods ensure that the virus is not present in the sperm used for conception, preventing transmission to both the mother and child."MANAGING HIV WITHIN A MARRIAGEHowever, couples with HIV need to be extra careful about unprotected sex even if both are living with the told India Today Digital that he and his wife planned their pregnancy under the close supervision of a gynaecologist, as he cannot have regular unprotected sex despite having his viral load under control. His semen could still affect his wife's CD4 count – a key indicator of immune health in people living with today, with ART, many people can restore and maintain normal CD4 Tarun's case, regular monitoring of both viral load and CD4 count helped guide safe family must also be noted that India's ART programme is one of the world's most cost-effective and accessible. First-line ART medicines can cost around Rs 1,500-Rs 2,000 per month at private institutions, but under Naco, the government provides them free of WITH HIV: BEYOND THE VIRAL LOADDespite being cost-effective today and offering a high chance of leading a normal life, living with HIV within a relationship still comes with its own set of emotional and practical serodiscordant couples, where only one partner is HIV-positive, the HIV-negative partner may have to make certain adjustments, especially around trust and physical intimacy, such as barely being able to have unprotected sex, and other lifestyle adjustments involving Foundation's Anjali Gopalan said, "When there is openness and honesty about one's HIV status, many couples are able to make it work. With the right support and counselling, people often choose to focus on the relationship and the bond they share, rather than the condition."Finding a partner, however, remains one of the biggest MK of the Humsafar Trust points out, "Most people living with HIV try to find a partner who is also HIV positive. Though marriage rates have improved, the success rate at community HIV melawas (fair, in Marathi) is still just 1-2%."Melawas are the Naco-organised community meet-ups held in Maharashtra. Similar meet-ups, known by different local names, are held annually in cities across India. Experts say these are typically low-key events, drawing around 100–150 attendees now married and actively involved in the HIV-positive community as a counsellor, says he attends the melawa across Maharashtra, to connect with others and offer common way people intending to get married meet is through word-of-mouth, especially via counsellors who interact with people living with HIV and often pass along information when they hear someone is looking for a partner."I have helped four couples get married by informally playing matchmaker," Tarun told India Today who has attended nearly every community meet-up in Maharashtra in the past several years, said, "Around 80% of those who turn up at these events are men. This gender disparity is one of the reasons why the success rate of melawas leading to marriage remains so low."Both Sumi MK and Tarun noted that even older individuals seek companionship and long-term relationships are often spotted at the community meet-ups. Online HIV matrimony portals offer some hope, but their reach is seemingly who helps facilitate such meet-ups, says, "Many people come from underprivileged backgrounds and aren't tech-savvy enough to maintain a profile. The emotional toll of living with HIV also means many don't always stay active on these platforms."Other social factors persist as well."Even within the HIV-positive community, people often seek partners from the same caste," Tarun added. "I once introduced two individuals from the Patil community, but the girl's parents insisted on the same sub-caste, and the match fell through."While stigma and practical hurdles remain, the journey of people living with HIV is no longer defined by fear or isolation. With stronger treatment options, growing awareness, and supportive communities, HIV-positive individuals are reclaiming their right to live, and love.- EndsMust Watch advertisement
Mint
24-07-2025
- Health
- Mint
Centre plans easier HIV care at patients' doorsteps, digital data management and patient tracing on the cards
New Delhi: The government plans to take HIV treatment and support to the doorsteps of over 2.5 million living with the virus. The Union health ministry is working on a "person-centered approach" instead of a uniform plan for everyone. This major overhaul, incorporated in the "Operational Guidelines for Care and Support Centres" by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), aims to eradicate AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. According to the 'India HIV Estimation 2023' report, an estimated 2.54 million people were living with HIV in India. The report said that in 2023, approximately 35,870 people in India died due to causes related to AIDS. To be sure, not everyone with HIV develops AIDS, and anti- retroviral or ARV drugs have made living with the disease as manageable as any other condition. Furthermore, the government is looking to roll out new mobile applications such as the NACO-CSC app for tracking and monitoring HIV patients. This initiative aims to digitize data and improve efficiency. A significant change in this new strategy is the widespread adoption of community-based link ART centres (LACs), which will enable HIV patients to pick up their vital antiretroviral (ARV) medicines at local care and support centres, rather than having to travel long distances to bigger hospitals. This "decentralized approach" aims to make treatment much easier to access, especially for those facing travel difficulties, financial strain or other personal challenges. Beyond easier ARV access, the government is also leveraging a major technological leap: digital record-keeping and patient tracking through a new "NACO-CSC mobile application". This initiative will replace the older, time-consuming paper-based system, allowing for real-time updates and seamless coordination between HIV testing centres (ICTC), treatment centres (ARTCs), and the care and support centres (CSCs). This digital shift is expected to save time, speed up patient care, and make the entire process more transparent and efficient. Importantly, patient confidentiality will be strictly maintained as per government data policies. The new treatment guidelines prioritize crucial areas like the Elimination of Vertical Transmission of HIV & Syphilis (EVTHS). This is a vital step to prevent HIV and syphilis from being passed from mothers to their children during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding. This focus is particularly urgent given that an estimated 2,350 new pediatric HIV infections in India in 2023 were due to such vertical transmission. The aim is to ensure that 95% of pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV achieve a suppressed viral load, a key factor in preventing transmission to their babies. 'Care and Support Centres (CSCs) will play a crucial role in this by proactively following up with pregnant women living with HIV to ensure they adhere to their treatment, get regular viral load tests, and that their babies receive necessary preventive medicines and early diagnosis," said an official aware of the matter. 'CSCs will help bridge the gaps in linking newly diagnosed individuals to treatment, improve how well patients stick to their medicine plans, and track those who might interrupt treatment or have a high viral load. CSCs also play a critical role in connecting patients to various social welfare schemes and actively work to reduce the stigma and discrimination that people living with HIV often face," the official added. Another focus of the new protocol is the comprehensive management of HIV-related co-morbidities and advanced HIV disease. This means addressing other health conditions that people living with HIV might develop, ensuring they receive holistic care. Indian pharmaceutical companies, including Cipla, Aurobindo Pharma, Zydus Lifesciences and Lupin, are key manufacturers of ARV drugs essential for HIV treatment. The market for HIV drugs is substantial, estimated at $250.23 million in 2022, with projections to grow to $389.90 million by 2030. Queries sent to the above mentioned companies remained unanswered. Raman Gangakhedkar, distinguished professor, Symbiosis International University, Pune and former C.G. Pandit national chair at the Indian Council on Medical Research (ICMR),said that though the National AIDS Control Programme continues to be one of the most successful nationally and internationally, it faces the challenge of linking 95% of HIV infected Individuals to ART services and ensure lifelong treatment adherence for the 2030 elimination goal. 'Vast number of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) cannot be followed up for the treatment and get missed, migration, opt out for treatment from closest clinics and social stigma are some of the key challenges for linkage as well continuation of antiretroviral therapy that has ensured that one can live as long as others who are not infected. Tracking individuals detected to be infected from detection to maintenance of suppressed viral load is critical," Dr. Gangakhedkar said. He said that to combat this, community involvement is paramount in the fight to eliminate HIV. 'The government now plans to establish more Care and Support Centres across the country in most of the districts and will not only track the person to ensure quality treatment against HIV disease but also monitor TB and other non-communicable diseases as a component of comprehensive care. The current guidelines cover objective parameters to be an agency to implement CSC related services, parameters used for rigorous monitoring and evaluation based on their performance. The HIV infected individuals will soon be able to get their medicines and refills directly from these local CSCs, eliminating the need to travel long distances to ART centres and when they are unable to travel due to sickness. The CSC will also counsel them comprehensively and also ensure measures related social stigma are handled well." He said that some of the patients on ART may prefer private healthcare to begin with and also during treatment from ART Centres. In such circumstances, the government often lacks crucial data on whether they're actually receiving treatment. 'To address this, all newly diagnosed HIV-positive individuals will now be linked to an ART centre. Furthermore, a digital mobile application will be instrumental in tracing patients anywhere in the country. Our major goal is to monitor active HIV cases and their treatment in India," said Dr. Gangakhedkar.
New Indian Express
05-06-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
Odisha among top 12 states with highest female sex workers and men who have sex with men : NACO
BHUBANESWAR: Odisha is among the top 12 states in the country to have the highest concentration of both female sex workers (FSWs) and men who have sex with men (MSM). According to the programmatic mapping and population size estimation (PMPSE) conducted by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) in 2022, the state recorded an estimated 24,620 FSWs and 5,977 MSM. The estimation has been published in the recent issue of peer-reviewed journal PLOS Global Public Health. As many as 2,113 hotspots and 190 network operators in the state were mapped during the survey. The hotspots included brothel, lodge/hotel, street, railway station, bus-stand, park, marketplace, under the bridge, highway, spa and abandoned area. The state has two FSWs per 1,000 adult women and about 88.6 per cent (pc) operate through physical hotspots such as homes or street locations. Around four per cent are exclusively linked to network operators, and 7.4 pc are found in rural villages under the link worker scheme (LWS).
The Hindu
06-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Parts of T.N. face shortage of HIV test kits; mechanism sought to address issue
As in previous years, some parts of Tamil Nadu are yet again facing a shortage of HIV test kits. Over the past few months, government doctors and health staff have been raising concerns over the non-availability of adequate test kits. Sources said that while there were supply disruptions from the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), Tamil Nadu, despite past experience, failed to put in place a mechanism to address the issue. Focused testing 'The primary objective is focused testing of high-risk groups and antenatal women. The ultimate goal is to screen the general population for HIV and sexually transmitted infections. So, we can meet the testing needs of high-risk groups through NACO's supply; and the State Health Department, along with Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society (TANSACS), should put in place a mechanism to ensure availability of kits for the general population,' an official source said. With an adult HIV/AIDS prevalence of 0.20% (among people aged 15 to 49), Tamil Nadu needs to have some guidelines or a mechanism in place to address this issue, instead of instructing districts to manage it through local purchases that could raise quality concerns, another source said. A health staff in a western district said they were told to use the available test kits only for high-risk groups. A doctor in a northern district said pregnant women were mandatorily tested for HIV/AIDS at Primary Health Centres (PHC), and their spouses were also tested for HIV/AIDS and venereal diseases along with blood grouping. 'Now, due to a shortage of kits, tests are done only for pregnant women in PHCs, and their spouses are referred to the government hospitals. We were told that oral instructions had been issued to the chief medical officers of the GHs to procure the required kits using the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme funds or make local purchases due to the shortage of kits,' he said. Doctors said the available kits were being used only for antenatal women and high-risk groups, and government hospitals and government medical college hospitals had been told to procure kits on their own for screening before surgeries. Another government doctor said the District AIDS Prevention and Control Unit provided dual-test kits for screening antenatal women. 'The most affected are government hospitals and government medical college hospitals. The reason is we screen patients who are taken up for general and orthopaedic surgeries. Now, if hospital administrators do not get kits through CMCHIS funds, surgeries could be performed without screening, thereby putting the surgical team at risk. This shortage surfaces now and then, and some hospitals have already spent a significant amount from the CMCHIS fund to procure kits to screen spouses of pregnant women and those undergoing surgeries. In fact, contact tracing (of those who test positive) has been left in the lurch for almost six months in some places,' he said. Despite attempts to reach TANSACS officials for comment, there was no response.
