The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : HIV Siege on our Community

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Monday, Dec 01, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

HIV Siege on our Community

Even after 28 yrs of discovery of HIV, a new case of HIV is increasing in toll in developing countries.

Prevalence of HIV in our country as per data is only the tip of iceberg in reality. The motto of the people who lead the community with high prevalence of HIV / Aids should give more attention towards prevention aspects which includes education of the population.

Prevention is better than cure is the golden words we have to remember always. Government and other NGO’s in spite of encouraging the HIV positive mother to give birth to a child through media which could be a normal child, should discourage it because even a HIV negative child born to a HIV positive mother in later days may become an orphan which in turn remains a burden to the society and country. Adopting a child may be a better alternation.

As number of cases of HIV patients occurs in the 2nd and 3rd decade pre marital, HIV testing should be made mandatory by marriage registration act and the society should come forward to accept it. Self-discipline plays a major role in prevention of spread of HIV infections.

A latest trend in treating HIV is hit early, hit hard with HAART (Highly Active Anti Retroviral Treatment). If ART is started in a still earlier phase of the disease, the disease can be brought under better control and prolongs the life span, rather than to wait till the CD4 count (White blood cells indicating the immunity status) falls below 200 as done in all government ART centers.

Because of cost constrains the government ART centers are following this strategy of starting ART below 200 is not going to control the disease effectively because by that time the disease would reach an irreversible stage of viral replication.

More over in all government ART centers base line viral load has to be done before initiations of ART, as early initiations of ART prolongs the life span with better quality of life.

Certainly the life span of HIV / AIDS patients is prolonged with currently available HIV drugs and medical care. But it should not be taken on a lighter side. People should fear for HIV / AIDS which is a life threatening infection because only fear of HIV can stop its spreading.

Unless we stop the new occurrence of HIV cases, it is very difficult to take care of already infected HIV patients.

Dr.S.Senthil Prabahar M.D.,

Senior Consultant - Dermatology and Venereology

Meenakshi Mission Hospital, Madurai.

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