Times of India: Mumbai: Wednesday,
June 01, 2016.
As many as
276 people in Maharashtra were infected with HIV while getting a blood
transfusion over the last one and half years, ranking the state at a worrisome
third position.
In an RTI
response, the National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) has revealed that 2,234
people across the country got transfused with HIV-infected blood in the same
period, raising serious concerns about blood safety .
Uttar Pradesh
recorded the maximum number of transfusion transmitted HIV cases at 361followed
by Gujarat at 292 cases. Delhi grabbed the fourth position with 264 cases.
Maharashtra
has recorded more than 1,239 such cases over the last six years. While
activists are alarmed with the findings, NACO insisted that the data is not a
real indicator as it is based on voluntary disclosure by clients at the
integrated counselling and testing centres (ICTC).
A senior NACO
official told TOI, "The numbers are self-reported. It's not corroborated
further by following up with blood tests. The overall situation is actually
much better now. In 1999, transfusion transmitted HIV was 15%, which has now
come down to less than 1%." The official added that the issue of safe
blood can be best addressed with an Act that most developed nations have.
The
Maharashtra State Aids Control Society said that most clients at the ICTC give
a history of blood transfusion even if they have indulged in unsafe sex or
injecting drugs."The fact is that at least 90% of HIV transmissions still
occur through sexual intercourse," said Dr Shobhna Tehra, joint director
of the society .
A doctor, who
has been crusading for safe blood, said that the government has not showed any
urgency to bring in advanced tests, such as nuclear acid testing, that cut down
the HIV detection window period to six days from three months. "They are
risking the life of poor patients. The worst hit are thalassemia patients who
have to take regular transfusions," said RTI activist Chetan Kothari.
Tehra said
that the department is working on a proposal for NAT in NACOsupported blood
banks in Maharashtra. India reported 2,234 cases of HIV infection spread
through blood transfusion between October 2014 and March 2016 and this amounts
to less than 1% of the total number of cases, the government has said.
National Aids
Control Organisation (NACO) and the health ministry said in 2009-10 India
reported 2,711 such cases and the number of people affected with HIV due to
blood transfusion have reduced drastically over the past 15 years tho ugh the
government con tinues to aim for zero transmission.
The
government's at tempt to place the numbers in context came after NACO provided
the statistics to an RTI query , which said 2,234 persons were infected with
HIV while receiving blood transfusions in the 17 months under review.
Officials
also said the data is "not scientific" as it is based on subjective
responses received from people visiting for HIV testing. "There are
several occasions when patients do not declare the exact reason or means of
transmission because of societal pressure or even lack of awareness.Therefore,
the data cannot be considered 100% accurate," a senior official at NACO
said.
However, the
government maintained it is also working towards stringent blood safety
screening and to introduce technologies to ensure zero transmission. In India,
NACO has been primarily responsible for ensuring transfer of safe blood.
According to
the 2015 annual report, till September 2014, NACO's total blood collection was
around 30 lakh units. The total number of people living with HIV in India was
estimated at around 20.9 lakh in 2011. Nearly 86% of these patients are in the
15-49 age-group. Children less than 15 years of age accounted for 1.45 lakh of
all infections in 2011 while 39% were among women.
.JPG)
.JPG)
