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New AIDS drug to The Ministry of Health

seeks to make the country
be available by HIV/AIDS free by 2030
with stress on zero
infections by then. And the
February 2020 new Dolutegravir drug is
a step in right direction,

reports tehelka bureau

he Union Health Ministry Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said.
has planned to introduce a As of now the current estimates of
new drug for the treatment People Living with HIV (PLHIV) is about
of patients suffering from 2.14 million, said the official. The health
T HIV/AIDS. “Dolutegravir” is ministry has set the target to achieve
a new drug which is likely to be avail- the target of Sustainable Development
able in the market by February 2020. Dr Goal (SDG) by eliminating the epidemic
Naresh Goel, Deputy Director-General of HIV/AIDS from India by 2030.
of National AIDS Control Organization According to Union Health Minis-
(NACO) said in an interview: “Previ- ter Dr Harsh Vardhan, “During 2018-19,
ously, we have been using the combi- about 79 per cent people living with
nation drug of TLE. But now, the health HIV knew their status and 82 per cent
ministry has decided to use TLD com- diagnosed with HIV are receiving free
bination drug - known as Dolutegravir. antiretroviral therapy and 79 per cent
It has fewer side effects and tolerance are virally suppressed. The basic tar-
is better.” get remains that of ‘’Three Zeros’’ — i.e.
Informing about the other advan- zero new infections, zero AIDS-related
tages of Dolutegravir drug, the official deaths and zero discrimination.”
said that the resistance to the new As per the official data by NACO, eve-
drug will develop late and adherence ry year about 88,000 new infections are
is better. “The viral suppression is faster added to their list. NACO has strength-
with the use of this new drug. We have ened its monitoring mechanism with
started training our doctors on how to more than 35,000 reporting units
prescribe the new drug to the patients. providing information on completely
By January, it will be done and in Febru- IT-enabled system. Since 1980s NACO
ary, we will launch the drug,” he added. is playing a key role in fighting against
Nearly eight in every 10 persons the disease and reducing the preva- In real terms, there has been a rise in
living with HIV are under treatment, lence of HIV/AIDS in the country. It has AIDS-related deaths between 2015 and
according to the government data, and signed MOU with 18 Central govern- 2017 with 69,110 dying of the infection
efforts are underway to expand the ment ministries to combat the disease. in 2017 as against 67,612 two years ago.
coverage basket. The Ministry of Health Treatment access remains a chal- The number of people living with
recently reiterated its resolve to make lenge with most patients finding it dif- the infection has risen from 21.17 lakh in
India HIV/AIDS free by 2030 with stress ficult to use anti-retro viral dispensing 2015 to 21.40 lakh now. HIV prevalence
on zero infections by then. facilities. Treatment gap remains the in adults has declined over the years
The National AIDS Control Or- big challenge for HIV control. and is now 0.22 per cent as against
ganisation statistics for 2017-2018 The ambitious goal of ending HIV 0.28 per cent in 2015. Experts working
show 79 per cent people living with by 2030 notwithstanding, as per the in the HIV sector say new infections
HIV know their status which makes it latest HIV estimates published by the remain a challenge with 40 per cent
easier to seek treatment. “Post treat- National Aids Control Organisation, being reported among women. As
ment, around 79 per cent people have India has reported only marginal of 2015, there were 89,000 new HIV
their viral load suppressed. We are on improvements in the fight against infections in India. This has marginally
the right track to ridding India of HIV,” the epidemic between 2015 and now. reduced to 87,000, showing the slow

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