At least 300 persons positive for HIV in Udupi district - Jan to Oct 2015

At least 300 persons positive for HIV in Udupi district - Jan to Oct 2015

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, Dec 01, 2015: According to an official release, in connection with "World AIDS day" on Dec1, more than 300 persons have tested positive for HIV in Udupi district till October 2015.  According to a press release issued by the District AIDS Prevention and Control Unit, 315 persons, 309 were adults and six were children.

In 2014, 473 persons had tested positive for HIV in the district which included 469 adults and four children. Of the 624 persons who had tested positive for HIV in 2013, 610 were adults and 14 were children. The World AIDS Day would be observed here on Tuesday. The theme of World AIDS Day, this year, is ‘Getting to zero.” This included ‘Zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination, zero AIDS related deaths’. With the help of Union and State governments, the DAPCU had initiated several steps to prevent and control HIV/AIDS in the district.

The DAPCU said that free HIV testing was being done at 80 centres in the district including primary health centres, taluk hospitals, district government hospital and private hospitals. Those who tested positive for HIV were being counseling services at these centres.

Free Antiretroviral therapy (ART) to treat eligible HIV patients was being provided at the district government hospital and at the government hospital in Kundapur. They were also being free ART medicines in both these places. Link ART facility was available at PHCs in Byndoor, Hebri, and Brahmavar and at the government hospital in Karkala.