VELLORE: A five-member team of officials from the National AIDS Control Organisation from Delhi and the State AIDS Control Society from Chennai, besides representatives from the UNAIDS and Centre for Disease Control in Delhi visited the Vellore Government Medical College Hospital on Wednesday, to review the ongoing pilot project of ‘Prevention of parent to childhood transmission of HIV.’
Deputy director of health services (DDHS), Dr Poongodi and the district AIDS control officer, who accompanied the team said, the pilot project being implemented in Vellore since 2011 aimed at monitoring pregnant mothers across the district, who were affected by HIV infection, to prevent the transmission of the infection to the new born.
The DDHS said, the pilot project was being implemented in the three States of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. In Vellore district last year, 54 pregnant women were found to be infected with HIV and were monitored by the project at the three centres and none of the child born to them had traces of HIV infection, she added. Taoufik Bakkale, Strategic information advisor attached to the USAIDS in India, told Express that the purpose of the visit was to find out whether the treatment provided to the HIV infected mothers were as per the international guidelines.
“We also wanted to understand the challenges faced by the implementing agencies and the solutions identified by them. The pilot project was being extended across the country and this input would be useful,” he added.