Lok Sabha Question No. 149 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-02-02
Subject: ‘Test and Treat’ Policy for HIV Patients
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: ELUMALAI VELLAIGOUNDER

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 149 TO BE ANSWERED ON 2 ND FEBRUARY, 2018

## 'TEST AND TREAT' POL ICY FOR HIV PATIENTS

## 149. SHRI V. ELUMALAI:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is true that the Government's new test and treat policy for HIV will now have the National AIDS Control Organisation focusing on community based tests to detect hidden case s;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether it is also true that there are 10.50 lakh people with HIV on antiretroviral treatment and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether with the revision in the guidelines, NACO is likely to detect another three lakh cases and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether it is also true that out of the 21 lakh estimated to be living with HIV only 14 lakh patients are on records and if so, the steps taken in this regard?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL )

- (a) & (b): The test and treat policy launched by the Government mandates treat all peo living with HIV (PLHIV) with anti - retroviral therapy regardless of CD4 count , clinical stage , age or population.

Community based testing  is  testing  of  'at  risk'  population,  which  is  so  far  unreached, through outreach activities at a place convenient to them.

- (c): 11.81 lakh people with HIV are on anti - retroviral treatment as of December 2017. The detail s are annexed .
- (d): The guidelines regarding community based testing aim to supplement the existing fac based testing to increase the uptake of HIV testing services among the 'at risk' population which have  been  unreached  so far.  The  cases  detected  as  a  result  of  the  tests  depend  on  the behavior of the population.
- (e): At present, out of the 21 lakh people estimate to be living with HIV ,16.2 Lakh are on record.

The steps  taken to improve detection are : -

1. Community based testing for 'at risk' population.
2. Universal  coverage  of  pregnant  women  for  HIV  testing  to  detect  HIV  Positive  Pregna Women and to eliminate mother to child transmission of HIV.

State wise distribution of people with HIV are on anti-retroviral treatment as of December 2017

| States/UT                 |   PLHIV on ART |
|---------------------------|----------------|
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands |            108 |
| Andhra Pradesh            |         172666 |
| Arunachal Pradesh         |             93 |
| Assam                     |           5704 |
| Bihar                     |          43424 |
| Chandigarh                |           5637 |
| Chhattisgarh              |          12404 |
| Delhi                     |          26498 |
| Goa                       |           2817 |
| Gujarat                   |          61540 |
| Haryana                   |          10739 |
| Himachal Pradesh          |           3913 |
| J&K                       |           2307 |
| Jharkhand                 |           8730 |
| Karnataka                 |         152841 |
| Kerala                    |          12659 |
| Madhya Pradesh            |          21851 |
| Maharashtra               |         202315 |
| Manipur                   |          12309 |
| Meghalaya                 |           1725 |
| Mizoram                   |           6623 |
| Mumbai                    |          36699 |
| Nagaland                  |           7289 |
| Odisha                    |          16744 |
| Pondicherry               |           1192 |
| Punjab                    |          26841 |
| Rajasthan                 |          35943 |
| Sikkim                    |            167 |
| Tamil Nadu                |         111506 |
| Telangana                 |          73360 |
| Tripura                   |           1174 |
| Uttar Pradesh             |          64999 |
| Uttarakhand               |           3476 |
| West Bengal               |          34832 |
| Total India               |        1181125 |