Hyderabad, September 14 INN: The Andhra Pradesh State Aids Control Society on Friday launched new drug regimen for the prevention of "parent to child transmission of HIV."
Speaking on the occasion at Ravindra Bharathi, Department of AIDS Control Director General Sayan Chatterjee informed that under the new drug regimen, all the HIV pregnant women would be started on lifelong Anti Retroviral Treatment if the CD4 counts are below 350. For the mothers whose immune status is good and CD4 counts are above 350, these mothers will also receive three drugs (Triple Drug Regiment) during the pregnancy, delivery period and one week after completion of breastfeeding. For baby born to HIV infected mother under new guidelines six week of Sd-NVP syrup once daily is given, he said.
Chatterjee said that the incidence of HIV has come down by almost 56 per cent and presently only 0.31 per cent of the total population is affected with AIDS. He said that the government and its agencies plan to ensure that no fresh cases of HIV-AIDS are reported by 2015.
According to APSACS officials, mother to child transmission of HIV is one of the major modes of transmission of HIV to children which is estimated to be 5.4 per cent of total HIV infections. Of the 16.5 lakh estimated pregnancies in the State of Andhra Pradesh, 12,500 are expected to be HIV positive under PPTCT program. In the last one year, 11 lakh pregnant women have been tested in Andhra Pradesh. Out of 100 HIV infected pregnant women 30-40 babies born to the mothers may get infection if no intervention done during pregnancy, childbirth or during breastfeeding period.
Therefore, the State Government through APSACS has been implementing PPTCT program for protecting mother and child from HIV.
Senior officials of State and Central Government and voluntary organisations participated in the event.
- INN
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