Early diagnosis of HIV in infants possible now

The Chandigarh State AIDS Control Society claims to have taken several initiatives to support people living with HIVs and also ensured that the treatment can be accessed universally.

The Chandigarh State AIDS Control Society (CSACS) claims to have taken several initiatives to support people living with HIVs and also ensured that the treatment can be accessed universally.

Project Director,CSACS,Dr Vanita Gupta,said Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) of HIV among infants and young children had been rolled out in ART Centre,PGI.

Earlier,it was not possible to conclusively diagnose HIV in infants born to HIV+ mothers till the age of 18 months,as the test being carried out would detect the HIV antibody,which could also be maternal antibody transferred to the baby. With the DNA PCR,it will now be possible to detect HIV infection in the baby as early as six weeks old and thus if any intervention is required it may be carried out at an early stage, said Gupta.

Also,the baseline tests,which were being carried out for all patients before initiation of treatment at the ART centre of PGI,are now being provided free of cost. Earlier,patients had to spend almost Rs 200 to 250 for certain baseline investigations,which many could not afford, said Gupta.

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