NEW DELHI: The number of AIDS related deaths in the country has reduced by 54 per cent between 2007 and 2015, the Rajya Sabha was told today. Minister of State for Health Faggan Singh Kulaste, in a written reply, said that as on October 2016, a total of 21,406 Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres (ICTC) and 1,636 Anti- Retroviral Treatment (ART) centres have been established in the country.
"National AIDS Control Programme (NACP), which was launched in 1994, to address epidemic of HIV/AIDS in the country has achieved remarkable success in addressing the issue.
The adult sero-prevalence has declined from 0.38 per cent in 2001-03 to 0.26 per cent currently. "The number of AIDS related deaths has reduced by 54 per cent from 2007 to 2015. As on October, 2016, 21,406 and 1,636 Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres (ICTC) and Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) centres respectively have been established in the country.
There are 12.2 lakh PLHIV in active care, out of which 9.97 lakh are on ART," he said. In addition, the programme is focusing on elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV and all pregnant women are being offered services for HIV testing and preventive therapy to those who are HIV positive.
"As a part of its commitment to reach 90-90-90 targets by 2020, HIV counselling and testing guidelines for community based testing and lay provider testing have been finalised to reach out to those currently not knowing their HIV status," he said.
The minister said that the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the country is driven through key populations and as on date 1502 Targeted Interventions programme provides services to these key populations which includes female sex workers, men having sex with men, transgender and injecting drug users.
The programme is also addressing sexually transmitted infections and reproductive tract infection through syndromic case management and has established 1164 dedicated facilities for the same. "The programme is also promoting safe blood transfusion to prevent HIV and other infections transmittable through blood and about 80 per cent of blood collected is through voluntary blood donation," he said.