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World AIDS Day Highlights Gaps in Prevention and Treatment
On World AIDS Day, health experts emphasized the urgent need to address mother-to-child transmission of HIV in India, a persistent challenge despite significant progress in combating the disease.
Dr. Ishwar Gilada, a leading HIV expert, revealed that at least one-third of HIV-positive pregnant women do not maintain regular contact with antiretroviral therapy (ART) centers or their gynecologists. This lapse often prevents them from accessing the medication essential to reducing the risk of vertical transmission.
“Vertical transmission rates have decreased from over 40% in 2010 to 24% in 2021, but this is still far from acceptable,” Dr. Gilada said. “Only about 70% of HIV-positive women receive ART, whereas this figure should be near zero or, at most, 1-2%.”
India has made commendable strides in reducing the overall prevalence of HIV. According to the Union Health Ministry, adult HIV prevalence is now at 0.2%, with annual new infections estimated at 66,400—a 44% reduction since 2010. India has also outperformed global reduction rates and aims to end AIDS by 2030.
Dr. Gilada expressed optimism, citing India’s status as the world’s leading supplier of ART medications. However, he cautioned that challenges remain, particularly in identifying undiagnosed HIV-positive individuals. Currently, around 75-77% of HIV-positive people in India are aware of their status, falling short of the global target of 95%.
The expert highlighted the need to expand self-testing options and integrate pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) into the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP). “PrEP is crucial for protecting vulnerable populations, such as men who have sex with men, transgender individuals, and people in prisons or institutional care,” he explained.
While India has made remarkable progress, experts warn that without stronger efforts to address gaps in treatment and prevention, the goal of eliminating new HIV infections by 2030 may remain out of reach.
