Panaji: With HIV positive cases on the decline, the challenge before the state is to detect new infections and eventually bring HIV cases down to zero, Dr Jose D'Sa, project director of the Goa State Aids Control Society (GSACS) said on Friday.
The decline has been sharp over the years, where there were more than 1,000 HIV positive cases were detected during each of the years between 2003 and 2008, D'Sa pointed out while presenting the figures. The multi-pronged strategy adopted by the government and increased surveillance has helped bring down the numbers and detect more cases. By the end of this year, a total of 70,000 people will have been tested for HIV, D'Sa said.
No sooner it is discovered that a mother is HIV positive, she is immediately put on treatment, and this has greatly helped halt the transmission from mother to child, this drastically bringing down the number of cases.
Goa was the first sate in the country to introduce a legislation for screening of blood at the blood bank, D'Sa said.
There are facilities available at all primary health care centres to ensure pregnant mothers are screened for HIV, D'Sa said. Goa Medical College (GMC) also has two CD4 testing machines where HIV positive people can get their immunity tested.
The anti-retrieval therapy centre at GMC has also been recognised for providing first and second line of treatment. There are only a handful of patients, around four, who have to travel to J J Hospital, Mumbai to avail of the third line treatment.
The decline has been sharp over the years, where there were more than 1,000 HIV positive cases were detected during each of the years between 2003 and 2008, D'Sa pointed out while presenting the figures. The multi-pronged strategy adopted by the government and increased surveillance has helped bring down the numbers and detect more cases. By the end of this year, a total of 70,000 people will have been tested for HIV, D'Sa said.
No sooner it is discovered that a mother is HIV positive, she is immediately put on treatment, and this has greatly helped halt the transmission from mother to child, this drastically bringing down the number of cases.
Goa was the first sate in the country to introduce a legislation for screening of blood at the blood bank, D'Sa said.
There are facilities available at all primary health care centres to ensure pregnant mothers are screened for HIV, D'Sa said. Goa Medical College (GMC) also has two CD4 testing machines where HIV positive people can get their immunity tested.
The anti-retrieval therapy centre at GMC has also been recognised for providing first and second line of treatment. There are only a handful of patients, around four, who have to travel to J J Hospital, Mumbai to avail of the third line treatment.
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