Maharashtra State - Health Status
Home >
India > Maharashtra > Health Status
NATIONAL AIDS CONTROL PROGRAMME (NACP)
The HIV /
AIDS has become a major health problem in the State. Maharashtra with estimated
7.47 lakh persons infected with HIV stands second in the country. As per the
latest sentinel surveillance report, the State has H IV prevalence of 18.4%
amongst STD patients and 1.8% in ANC.
- FIRST CASE IN INDIA IN APRIL 1986
- FASTEST TRANSMISSION IN MAHARASHTRA AND TAMILNADU
- ONE NEW INFECTION EVERY
15-20 SECONDS
- 30-40% MALE (<16 YRS)
ARE EXPOSED TO SEXUAL EXPERIENCE
- PRE-DOMINANT ROUTE IS
HETERO SEXUAL (96%)
IMPACT:
- DANGEROUS THREAT TO FAMILY LIFE
- DECLINE IN LIFE EXPECTANCY
- INCREASED
EXPENDITURE ON HEALTH CARE
- INCREASED NUMBER OF ORPHANS
- DECREASED PRODUCTIVITY OF WORK
FORCE
- ADVERSE EFFECT ON NATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
CHALLENGES BEFORE THE STATE:
- Highest rate of urbanization (41 %) and migration.
- Well established Sex industry
(Brothel to non brothel)
- Prevalence of HIV alarming in
Western Part and industrial belt.
- High prevalence of STDs.
- HIV infection amongst sex workers
is high (50 to 60%)
- Hospital bed occupancy by HIV positive varies from 24 to 40%.
STRATEGY:
- PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT
- RESEARCH AND SURVEILLANCE
- IEC ACTIVITIES, FAMILY HEALTH AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
- S.T.D. CONTROL PROGRAMME
- CONDOM PROMOTION
- BLOOD SAFETY
- REDUCING AIDS RELATED PROBLEMS
The Maharashtra State has worked out the AIDS Control
strategy in two phases.
First Phase (1992-98) ACTIVITIES:
- The State has started the AIDS Cell in the Directorate of
Health Services, in 1992.
- Established 12 sero-surveillance centres.
- IEC activities for NGO and Health staff.
- AIDS prevention education programmes in schools with UNICEF support.
- 71 Blood Banks modernized.
- Mandatory HIV screening in blood banks.
- 46 Zonal Blood Testing Centres established.
- Voluntary Blood donation promoted.
- STD Clinics provided with drugs and training.
Second Phase (1999-2004) ACTIVITIES:
To effectively implement the
AIDS control activities, two societies i.e. one for Mumbai Corporation and other for rest of Maharashtra
were established in July 1998. National AIDS Control Organization decided to
undertake NACP activities with World Bank support from 1999 to 2004 as a
Centrally Sponsored Programme.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
Project Director (IAS)
Additional Project Director
Joint Director (3)
Deputy Director (4)
Assistant Director (5)
Financial Controller
GOALS SET FOR 1999-2004
- Reduce
Blood Born Transmission to less than 1 %.
- Introduce
Hepatitis "C" mandatory Test.
- Increase voluntary
blood collection to more than 60% J
- Increase
Annual blood collection from 3.5 to 5 lakh units
- Create awareness in 90% youth and adults.
- Involve NGOs in
"Targeted Intervention Activity"
- Promote Condom Use
- Organize Family Health Awareness Campaign for RTI/STI.
- Establish at least one voluntary testing centre per district.
- Undertake area and group specific awareness campaign.
- Cover all schools with AIDS prevention activities.
- Cover all Universities through "University Talk AIDS Program"
Focus is given on following activities:
- Advocacy and General awareness on HIV / AIDS
- STD Control measures.
40 STD Clinics in operation.
STD Clinics upgraded, and staff trained.
- Family Health Awareness Campaign.
- Sentinel Surveillance for HIV.
- Blood safety.
236 Licensed Blood Banks out of which 227 are functional.
71 Blood Banks, 7 Blood components separation units and 16 Zonal Testing Centres have been modernized.
Every collected Blood Unit is tested for Malaria, Syphilis, Hepatitis-B, Hepatitis-C and HIV.
The Blood Voluntary Donation drive has increased the blood collection from 4.17 lakhs units in 1997 to 6.49 lakhs units in 2000. The State is self sufficient in safe blood supply.
37 Centurion Blood Donors honored with Gold Medal and certificate at the hands of Hon. Chief Minister.
- Hospital Infection Control Measures.
- Care and Support for people leaving with HIV / AIDS. Continuum of care centre for AI DS cases on pilot basis started at Bel
Air Hospital, Pachgani, Dist. Satara.
- Establishment of Voluntary Counseling and Testing Centres. At 12 places the Centres are
established, out of which 6 are in Mumbai. All District and Major Hospitals will have one centre in the next two years.
- Capacity building.
Blood Transfusion Services.
- NGO collaboration.
For targeted intervention and school
AIDS education programme
Findings in National Family Health Survey
|
Many women lack knowledge of AIDS
- 61 % of women in Maharashtra have heard women with knowledge of AIDS, much higher than the national level 100 of 40 percent.
However, 2 out of every 5 women 75 have no knowledge of AIDS.
- women in urban areas (81 percent) have heard of AIDS compared to 47 % in rural areas.
|
 |
|
Primary sources of knowledge about AIDS
- Television is by far the most import and source of sources of information
information about AIDS with about 3/4th of 100 77 women receiving information from that source 75
- Other sources are friends, relatives ( 33% ), newspapers, magazines ( 23 % ) and radio
( 22 %).Only 7 % of women report receiving information about AIDS from a health worker
|
 |
|
Many women lack knowledge of ways to avoid AIDS
- One third of women who have heard of AIDS do not know any way to avoid infection.
- Among women who report that something can be done to prevent AI DS, the most common ways mentioned are
having only one sex partner ( 38 percent) and avoiding sex with commercial sex workers ( 33 percent ). Only 20 percent reported that condoms could prevent AIDS.
|
 |
|
