Haryana Health Minister, Anil Vij on Thursday said that the positivity rate of HIV in the State has decreased from 0.67 per cent in 2015-16 to 0.55 per cent in 2016-17.
Besides, number of persons tested for HIV/AIDS has increased from 6,55,854 in 2015-16 to 7,87,909 in 2016-17, said the Minister.
Vij said that the Department is undertaking several initiatives, including adoption of an innovative IEC strategy, to increase awareness regarding measures to prevent HIV/AIDS. As a result of this, a constant reducing trend is being seen in positivity rate of HIV, which had decreased from 0.68 per cent in 2014-15 to 0.67 per cent in 2015-16, he said.
The Minister said that in view of the ongoing dual epidemic of HIV and Tuberculosis (TB), the department had started linkage between Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres and TB Centres for cross-referral of patients.
As a result, the number of HIV-TB co-infected patients has reduced from 352 in 2015-16 to 154 in 2016-17. These patients are being provided free treatment in Government hospitals, he added.
He said that Anti-Retroviral Therapy was being provided to HIV-positive patients in 18 centres. As many as 21,482 persons living with HIV/AIDS have been registered at Anti-Retroviral Treatment Centre (ART), Rohtak.
Apart from this, nine Opioid Substitute Therapy Centres have been established under Harm Reduction Programme to prevent HIV infection in intravenous drug users. These drug users are shifted from intravenous drug usage to oral drugs so that chances of HIV transmission are reduced, he said.
Referring to the efforts being made by the Department to increase awareness regarding HIV/AIDS, Vij said that Pocket IEC was created to sensitise the people about routes of transmission of HIV infection and its prevention.
This information is being read at registration counters of general hospitals by the counsellors, at inter-personal communication camps and during door-to-door campaigns by ASHA workers.
He said that as a result of promotion of national toll-free helpline, 1097,36,340 persons availed the facility in 2016-17 as compared to 6,888 in 2015-16.
Besides, digital mode of dissemination of information has been adopted by showing ‘Teachaids Movie’ on HIV/AIDS awareness in 3,351 schools and 246 colleges, he added.