Bhubaneswar: The state government will conduct HIV tests of all pregnant women in the state by December this year.
The testing will also be done for cases wherein all other tests have been conducted except HIV and steps will be taken for compulsory check of pregnant women in future.
A decision to this effect was taken at a review meeting on HIV and TB situation in the state and programmes being implemented to curb these diseases by additional secretary of Ministry of Health & Family welfare Arun Kumar Panda and managing director of National Health Mission (NHM) Shalini Pandit.
Health officials said it is essential to conduct HIV tests of pregnant women during their first antenatal checkup to ensure that the baby is not affected with HIV.
The meeting said it has been projected that a total of 67,654 persons – 0.25 per cent of total population- in the state are living with HIV. However, 40,205 persons with HIV have been identified so far of which 24,726 are male and 15,479 are female. Of these, 78 per cent are between 25 and 49 years of age.
Officials also said out of the total number of HIV positive, 2,092 are pregnant women, while 2,467 are children under 14 years of age.
Meanwhile, strengthening of check-up mechanism for detection of tuberculosis patients was also tabled for discussion at the meeting. While over 48,000 TB patients have been identified in the state, it is presumed that an additional 30 per cent of the total figures are yet to be reached out and have remained undiagnosed, said the officials.
The Union health joint secretary directed the state government to take steps to fill the vacancies in hospitals across the state and use modern medical resources for expediting the TB check-up programme in the state.
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