Mumbai registered 330% rise in AIDS deaths in just 3yrs
An astonishing data has come to the fore that has left both the health authorities and doctors startled. There has been a whopping 330% rise in the number of AIDS deaths in the past three years in Mumbai, as noted by central health ministry's Health Management Information System. In 2015-16, 27 HIV-positive people had died, which jumped to 116 in 2017-18, said the data.
'Due to prolonged use, people become immune to ART'
When antiretroviral treatment (ART) was introduced, HIV/AIDS epidemic was brought under control in late 1990s. Given this, the 62% increase in HIV/AIDS deaths in last 1 year is indeed bothersome. Doctors reasoned that many become immune to the first line of ART due to prolonged use, and need new medicines that aren't covered under government-run programs. "Moreover, those are unaffordable for the poor," a doctor said.
Intensive follow-up drives led to increase in numbers: MDACS
However, officials from Maharashtra District AIDS Control Society (MDACS) said the massive rise was noted because they were able to track more deaths/patients through intensive loss-to-follow-up drives. "This drive helped us update the actual number of deaths. It could also be the reason for the increase in reported deaths," said Dr. Shrikala Acharya, director, MDACS. MDACS implements the central government's National AIDS Control Program.
Last year, Health ministry had announced National Strategic Plan
Last year, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda announced that a National Strategic Plan to effectively eliminate HIV/AIDS in seven years was being formulated. The "Test and Treat Policy for HIV", would provide ART to those identified, irrespective of clinical stage or lymphocyte count. Steve Kraus, the then regional director of UNAIDS, Asia-Pacific had praised India's commitment to tackling the issue.
