Many Gains in Fighting HIV

Context: Lessons drawn from Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) success can be used to deal with the future health emergency or pandemic like situation.

Success In checking HIV infections: Estimates by the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO)/Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with the technical support of The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)

• Reduction in new HIV infections: among children (66.1%) and AIDS-related deaths (65.3% ) in 2019. 
• Reduction in the number of pregnant women living with HIV: from 31,000 in 2010 to 20,000 in 2019.
• Expansion in the coverage of antenatal and HIV treatment and testing within time and target range.

Measures taken for HIV prevention and monitoring in India:

• Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission (EMTCT) strategy-cum-action plan 2019: entailed mobilisation and reinforcement of all National, State and partners’ collective efforts for preventing infection.

• Education and communication programmes: for reducing mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

• Innovative delivery mechanisms: for HIV testing like community-based testing, partner testing or index testing have increased the accessibility.
• Wide coverage of counselling and care: with improved treatment and follow-ups. 
• National ‘treat all’ policy: for nationwide free HIV testing and treatment for all pregnant women 
• Identification of high HIV burden districts: in terms of density of pregnant women living with HIV with the help of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organization (WHO) and NACO.
• Implementation of HIV specific strategies/policies at grassroot level: through village health and nutrition days and other grass-roots events under the National Health Mission.

Way Forward

• Need of increased treatment saturation coverage for early HIV testing and treatment initiation to become the normal. 

• Ensure periodic monitoring of the data and review. 

Conclusion: Data-driven and decision-making approaches will help in tackling the AIDS as a public health threat for children in India.