Consultation programme on HIV testing stresses on community based screening
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 21 2014: Two days consultation programme on HIV testing in Northeast States & WHO guidelines on HIV/ Hepatitis treatment which was organised by the Manipur Network of Positive People (MNP+) concluded yesterday in Imphal.

With reports of less than 50 percent of the population in India been tested for HIV, the programme highlighted a community-based testing as the need of the hour.

Speaking during the concluding programme, H Umesh Sharma, Delhi-based drug and HIV activist, said, "Conventional methods of HIV testing at ICTC and PPTCTs are not enough.

We need to supplement this with community testing to achieve hundred percent HIV screening of people who have higher risk of getting HIV infection and as well as the entire population" .

UNAIDS report of July 2014 showed that out of the 35 million people in the world, 19 million are infected with HIV and many are unaware of it.

The Department of AIDS Control, Government of India, under the National AIDS Control Programme- IV which was launched in May 2014 plans to initiate a community-based HIV screening by front line health workers such as Auxiliary Nurse Midwives after pilot testing in HIV burdened districts (with low rates of institutional delivery) .

It is believed that the programme will augment the present HIV screening at the Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres (ICTC) and Prevention of Parent to Child Transmission (PPTCT) centres.

Recommending community-based HIV testing and screening, WHO said, "In generalized HIV epidemics, community-based testing and counselling with an aim to prevent, provide care and treatment is recommended, in addition to provider-initiated testing and counseling" .

Dr Raghu Rao, National Programme Officer, Basic Services Division, Department of AIDS Control, New Delhi, said that annually the estimated number of pregnant women in India is around 290 lakh however the present PPTCT services can reach out to only 97 lakh.

Among people who are at higher risk of contracting HIV are the drug users, transgenders and sex workers, where follow-up HIV screening is very poor.

The National AIDS Control Programme recommended that people belonging to this group screen for HIV every six months.

Manoj Pardeshi, National Coalition of PLHIV in India (NCPI+), who took part in the two-day consultation programme asserted that community based testing is the only way to bridge the gap created by the present HIV testing strategy.

"If we want to ensure that every adolescent, everyone including drug users, transgenders, sex workers and HIV positive people get tested then community-lead HIV testing model will be a cost effective solution.

This strategy can penetrate the population more, reduce stigma attached with HIV testing as it links with all the care, support and treatment and is community friendly" .

Though strongly recommended by WHO and UNAIDS, community-based HIV screening can be a challenge, said Ketholelie Angami, Nagaland Users' Network (NUN) .

"It may take a year or so to prepare the ground for community testing.

Awareness has to be generated on this strategy so that communities accept it without fear.

The health departments and other stakeholders have to merge together and be involved to make it meaningful", Ketholelie Angami said.

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