TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The Goa State AIDS Control Society (GSACS) has set an ambitious target of zero new HIV infections by the end of 2017, Project Director for the GSACS Dr Sachin Govekar told media persons on Monday.
Addressing an advocacy workshop, Dr Govekar said that the figures of new infections have been steadily decreasing and under the third phase of the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) the target was on ‘no news infections’. “Goa can be a model state for the rest of the country by achieving the target of zero new infections by 2017,” Dr Govekar said.
Statistician with GSACS, Dr Durga Prasad admitted that achieving the target was a huge challenge since, the state currently has around 500 new infections detected each year.
“We have successfully halved it from over 1000 new detections a year. But bringing it to zero will require a Herculean efforts of all stakeholders,” Dr Prasad said.
According to their targets, they have to achieve 310 cases in 2014, 150 cases in 2015 and bring it to 100 in 2016 before, breaking the barrier by 2017.
In 2012, however the GSACS offshot its target with 554 detections as against their target of 480, yet they are still hopeful.
The first phase of the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) was implemented during 1992-1999 was mainly to slow down the spread of HIV, to reduce future morbidity, mortality and the impact of AIDS by initiating a major effort in the prevention of HIV transmission.
The second phase of NACP (1999-2006) was focussed on reducing the spread of HIV infection in Goa and to strengthen Goa’s response to HIV/AIDS on a long-term basis.
The primary goal of NACP III to halt and reverse the epidemic in India by integrating programmes for prevention, care, support and treatment. The aim was to achieve this through four stages prevention of new infection in high risk groups, providing greater care, support and treatment and strengthening the infrastructure system and targeted interventions.
… To start CSC
PANJIM: The GSACS, with the help of the NGO Zindagi based in Vasco will be starting a new Care Support Centre (CSC) replacing the old Community Care Centres (CCC), which not achieving the required targets, GSACS has announced.
“Those centres were becoming a dumping ground for AIDS patients with families abandoning them there. We did not want to support this,” Dr Lalitha Umraskar said adding that they offered stay for AIDS patients.
She said the new CSCs would not offer stay, encourage the patients to stay at home while also helping the patients with all his needs including liaising with regular medical set up for treatment, dealing with his/her family, etc. This new centre is expected to be started by the month end.
