Source of Infections in AIDS cases in India

Objectives of AIDS Policy

Strategy of AIDS Policy

Policy Initiatives

Program Management

Advocacy and Social Mobilisation

Participation of NGO's/CBO's

H.I.V Testing

Counseling

People Living With AIDS (PLWAs)

Control of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)

Use of Condoms as a HIV/AIDS Prevention Measure

Policy on Blood Safety

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Indigenous Systems of Medicine (ISM)

Bilateral and International Cooperation

Conclusion

1. Management of STDs through syndromic approach would be incorporated into the general health service. Once the STD case management is integrated in peripheral helath system, unnecessary referral could be avoided leaving the specialised services free for managment of complicated cases and operational research and supervision of sites where STD patients are treated.
2. STD among women though highly prevalent, is suppressed because of the social stigma attached to the disease. It has therefore been decided to incorporate services for treatment of reproductive tract infections (RTIs) and sexuall transmitted diseases (STIs) at all levels. Department of Family Welfare and the NACO would coordinate for an effective implementation of such integration. STD Clinics at district/block/FRU level would function as referral centres for treatment of STDs referred from peripheries. STD clinics in all district hospitals, medical colleges and other centres would be strengthened by providing technical equipment, reagents and drugs. A massive orientation training programme would be undertaken to train all the medical and paramedical workers engaged in providing STI/RTI services through a syndromic approach. All STD clinics would also provide counseling services and good quality condoms to the STD patients. Services of NGOs would be utilised for providing such counseling services at the STD clinics.

Surveillance and Monitoring To adopt the right strategy for prevention and control of HIV, it is necessary to build up a proper system of monitoring of the epidemic through surveillance activities. The Government would enlarge and refine the sentinel surveillance system for obtaining data on HIV infection rates both in high risk as well as low risk groups of the population and for monitoring the trends. A quality control mechanism through an independent agency will be evolved and adopted in order to have good quality data. Government is aware of the indequacy of a comprehensive epidemiolgical data on the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in India. This gap in information would soon be filled through a proper sentinel survey mechanism covering both the high risk groups and general population. Special surveys, indicator survey and study of the risk behaviour of targeted groups will be undertaken for specified information on the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the community.