symbolic picture
Gujarat government is going to organize a massive awareness campaign on World AIDS Day. This year’s theme has been “Take the Righteous Path: My Health, My Right”. The programs organized in collaboration with State AIDS Control Societies (GSACS) and National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) aim to protect the rights of HIV infected persons to lead a dignified life. In these programs, events like rallies, drama, painting, poster, rangoli competitions, quiz and essay writing will be organized across the state. Along with this, messages will also be broadcast in public places, buses, trains and through LED screens. Efforts will be made to make this campaign successful with the cooperation of government departments, private companies, NGOs and educational institutions.
The Government of Gujarat in collaboration with GSACS has provided HIV counselling, testing and treatment services to more than 22 lakh 50 thousand persons in the last 7 months. According to NACO data, the projected adult HIV prevalence in Gujarat is expected to decline from 0.20% in 2019 to 0.19% in 2023. Similarly, the HIV infection rate is expected to decline from 6 per 1,00,000 uninfected individuals in 2019 to 4 in 2023.
91,550 patients got benefits in the last 7 months
According to GSACS, more than 91,550 HIV-positive persons have been identified and provided appropriate counseling and test-treatment services under the “Index Testing Campaign” in Gujarat from April 1, 2024 to October 31, 2024. Similarly, under the “Integrated Health Campaign”, 325 camps have been organized and screening and treatment services for HIV, TB, Hepatitis B&C and STI have been provided. Under the STI control programme, 98,398 patients were screened and treated from 60 government STI control centres. More than 2,600 HIV testing facilities are also available in the Basic Services Division of the state, in which 11,93,988 persons were tested for HIV during this period, out of which 4729 (0.39%) persons were found to be HIV positive and provided proper counseling and treatment facilities. Is.
295 pregnant women HIV positive
Not only this, under the State Government’s Prevention of Parent to Child Transmission of HIV/AIDS program, more than 8 lakh 96 thousand pregnant women were also tested for HIV, out of which 295 (0.03%) pregnant women were found HIV positive, due to which Later he was provided proper counseling and treatment facilities. Awareness and prevention activities are being conducted through 105 NGOs and 2 Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST) centers in Gujarat for HIV prevention and treatment. Free HIV testing services are being provided through 261 ICTC centers (including 3 mobile vans) and more than 2400 screening centers in the state. Not only this, free medicines are also being provided to HIV infected persons at 48 anti-retroviral therapy (ART) centers and 59 link ART centres.
