State's HIV+ figure crosses 42K
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 27 2012: In the absence of any specific policy of the State to combat the menace of HIV/AIDS and enable PLHIV's live with dignity, the number of HIV+ people in the State has reached 42,116 till October this year.

According to an epidemiological profile published by the Manipur State AIDS Control Society, blood samples for 6,52,687 people were tested between September 1986 and October 2012 .

Out of them 42,116 have been found HIV+.

These include 11,778 women and 2,773 children.

Modes of transmission of HIV among the general population and risk groups are determined according to sentinel surveillance report published by MACS.

Sentinel surveillance reports were published every year from 1994 to 2008 .

As per the report published in 2008, injecting drug users accounted for 28.65 per cent of HIV transmission, pregnancy accounted for 0.5 per cent, promiscuity 2.9 per cent, female sex workers accounted for 10.89 per cent and MSM accounted for 17.21 per cent.

However, no such report is available for the last four years.

One official of MACS while talking with TSE said that sentinel surveillance reports could not be published any more as National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) withdrew its approval for the same.

All the programmes being implemented are within the framework of the NACO's Policy Phase III (2006-2011) .

Till October this year, 8600 people were receiving ART treatment while 22,735 people were given pre-ART care.

Whereas the figure of HIV+ people has been put at 42,116, the number of people of receiving ART treatment and pre-ART treatment care is only 31,235 .

The question is, where are the remaining HIV+ people who are given neither ART drugs nor pre-ART care or does the report published by MACS include duplicates.

Notably, HIV was first detected in Manipur in October 1989 among injecting drug users.

HIV, which was first confined to high risk groups like injecting drug users, female sex workers, MSM (male having sex with male) and migrants is now steadily spreading among the general population including women and children.

The dreaded virus has also spread to rural areas from urban areas.

Observing that HIV has become a serious issue for the society even to the extent of hampering economic growth, SASO general secretary Sashikumar underscored the need to ascertain the common modes of HIV transmission before taking up any programme aimed at controlling the menace of HIV/AIDS.

To ascertain the common modes of HIV transmission, there is growing need to strengthen a mechanism to monitor targeted intervention programmes, he said.

There are 56 TI sites and four drop-in centres in Manipur under MACS.

In addition, there are 54 integrated counselling and testing centres and 17 early infection diagnostic (IED) centres.

Meanwhile, the condition of PLHIVs in the State has degraded to a pathetic condition.

Thoubal ART centre counsellor Thoibi said that they encountered lot of difficulties at the ART centres due to absence of doctors.

Under such circumstances, ART patients were compelled to go private doctors when they had any health complaints.

Moreover, most of the ART centres often faced shortage of ART drugs.Out of the nine ART centres opened in the State, there are senior medical officers only in the ART centres opened at RIMS, JNIMS, district hospitals of Bishnupur and Churachandpur.

Other centres do not have senior medical officers or MO's.MNP+ general secretary Udita lamented that there is no separate programme for women and children living with HIV.

Funding agencies which used to provide education, health and nutrition support to children living with HIV have wound up their projects.

It needs a specific policy to ensure that welfare programmes taken up by such departments like Social Welfare, Health and Education reach children living with HIV.

It also demands smooth coordination among the concerned departments.

With only four drop-in centres, there is no sign of taking up new measures to check HIV transmission even though the number of HIV+ people has reached an alarming figure, Udita said.

Moreover, drugs for opportunistic infection kept at drop-in centres earlier are now no longer available.

Same is the case in ART centres too.

MACS brand ambassador Pradipkumar said that the revised State AIDS Policy is yet to enforced in Manipur.

It appears that the struggle against AIDS is over once the project period expires.

Almost all AIDS control programmes have become defunct in the State.

There are many cases where many people concealed HIV infection from their sexual partners.

Such deceitful attitude would cost very dear to the society.

Both NACO and MACS seemed to unaware of the crux of the issue.

It looks like officers on deputation are only waiting for the end of their terms.

Even as the number of HIV+ people is increasing every year, there are few people who are genuinely concerned with the epidemic like situation, Sashikumar lamented.

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