Vijayawada: Will provide HIV self –testing kits

VIJAYAWADA: Health and Family Welfare Commissioner and Andhra Pradesh State AIDS Control Society (APSACS) Project Director J Nivas stated that the state government has done robust efforts in preventing HIV and added that they would provide HIV self-testing kits to the high risk groups especially those who want to maintain anonymity. It was vital to educate and motivate the high risk groups for HIV testing, he stressed.

While inaugurating the ‘Training of one stop centre and virtual intervention staff in Andhra Pradesh’ here on Friday, the Commissioner said that ‘This training programme will help to enhance the knowledge of the field level workers in helping them to motivate more individuals for HIV testing, link them with various health and social protection services. The efforts of ‘VHS – CDC Project ASPIRE’ and their initiatives are appreciable, and the state government is willing to adapt their innovations'', he informed. He asked the VHS (Voluntary Health Services) to work rigorously in collaboration with APSACS to achieve the first 95. He said that in terms of the goal of reaching 95-95-95, there was a gap of over 50000 in the first 95 in AP.

This gap could be closed through virtual intervention, know your status campaign, working with the adolescent and young key population, index testing services and through one stop centers, he explained. The Commissioner further said that the prevention to care and treatment continuum programme in the state is being implemented with support and guidance from the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO). The index testing (Index testing is a focused HIV testing service approach in which family members and partners of people living with HIV are offered testing) had helped them a lot to fast-track HIV cases finding with fidelity in the state. Referring to the Tele Manas helpline, the Commissioner disclosed that The State was actively promoting 24/7 Tele Manas helpline (14416) and said they had saved the lives of around 53 individuals from committing suicide during the last three months of time.

He further stressed that his helpline need to be promoted among the adolescent and young key population and to the high risk groups through the one stop canters in order to address the mental health issues and prevent suicides. Meanwhile, during the program, Transgender spoke on the need for an exclusive Transgender welfare board and sexual reassignment surgery in government hospitals and the commissioner agreed for it.