NEW DELHI: The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) has proposed to establish 4,955 Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres (ICTC) in the next five years under the third phase of the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP). These centres will carry out 21 million AIDS tests a year.

The ICTC is the key entry point of interventions like prevention of Parent-to-Child-Transmission (PTCT), Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), tuberculosis (TB) treatment and condom promotion.

It is a non-coercive, confidential, cost-effective and inclusive approach that encourages behaviour change in both HIV-positive and HIV negative individuals. The services, available in over 3,394 existing ICTCs, are aimed at targets within their geographical radius.

NACO is in the process of expanding ICTC facilities in district, sub-district and 30-bed community health hospitals in a phased manner. These work in close association with the country's National TB Control Programme and the Reproductive Health programme. The centres provide counselling at various stages — pre-test, post-test and follow-up. Pre-test counselling prepares the client to accept his/her HIV status with information about the infection and clarifies misconceptions about the virus while post-test counselling concentrates on behaviour changes, deals with psychological impact by building coping mechanisms and develops social support. The focus is on care and support that is maintained in follow-up counselling.

The parent-to-child transmission of HIV, or perinatal transmission, accounts for 4.34 per cent of the total HIV infection in the country. It can occur during pregnancy, at the time of delivery or through breast-feeding. If an HIV-positive woman becomes pregnant, there are 30 per cent chances that the baby will also be infected.

At present PTCT services are available through 2,423 centres located at various Medical Colleges, District Hospitals, Community Health Centres and also private hospitals. In the next two years, these services will cover all Community Health centres to help at least 80 per cent of pregnant women.

Public-private partnerships under NACP-III will be strengthened to improve care and support services to People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHAs). It is proposed to increase the number of care and support centres to 350 during this phase. NACO supports 84 drop-in-centres for PLHAs, designed to provide psychological support to the patients and to ensure community participation in the programme. There are low cost community care centres that act as a bridge between the hospital and home-based care facility. At present 122 such small hospices catering to a minimum of 10 PLHAs are being run by non-governmental organisations.

Awareness campaign

NACO will launch a month-long campaign in high-prevalent states — Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Manipur and Nagaland focussing on the linkage between HIV and tuberculosis (TB).

The HIV virus lowers the immunity of the person, easily exposing him/her to opportunistic infections of which TB is the most common infection.

An HIV positive person has a 60 per cent risk of contracting TB and hence, prevention of TB attains paramount importance, an official release issued here on Friday said.

TB can be cured by taking DOTS course treatment provided free by the Government. Free tests for both HIV and TB are available at Government hospitals and medical clinics.

The campaign will be conducted through the mass media and is expected to raise awareness levels and help promote the services provided by the Government for HIV positive people.

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