HIV through prenatal route shows no sign of receding

PANJIM, DEC 29
Despite awareness about HIV/AIDS and aggressive Prevention of Parent to Child Transmission (PPTCT) programme, there has been a significant transmission through prenatal route. The annual proportion of HIV infection through the route is around 4 to 6 per cent.
The recent report of the Goa State AIDS Control Society (GSACS) revealed that HIV epidemic in Goa has entered the third phase and considerable transmission is caused through prenatal route.
The reports also say that with the progress of the epidemic in the general population and the increase in the proportion of women in the reproductive age group, HIV transmission from mothers to infants is likely to increase in the coming years.
The study also indicated that rate of infection in the reproductive age group (15-49) is higher than women in older group. In 2007, 367 females were detected HIV positive, of which 85 per cent were found to be in the reproductive age group, and more than 32 per cent were in the age group 15-29.
Therefore, it is feared that Mother to Child Transmission (MTCT) will be a serious problem in future if effective and aggressive measures are not initiated immediately. As per the study, about 70 infants acquire HIV infection every year.
In the last seven years (1999-2007), the number of HIV infected children below 15 years detected at Integrated Counselling and Training Centres (ICTCs) ranged between 33 to 66 in a year accounting for 4.1 to 6.6 per cent of the total cases detected.
The GSACS currently, has extended the PPTCT programme to district hospitals. The programme helps to reduce MTCT of HIV infection with quality antenatal care including preventive services. There is increased surveillance about antennal mothers, voluntary counselling and testing for HIV infection.