GUWAHATI, Dec 12 - In a major success in healthcare interventions, the rate of HIV transmission from an infected mother to her child has come down from nearly 100 per cent in Assam in the last two years or so.
Official sources informed that largely due to the revised guidelines with regard to prevention of parent-to-child infection (PPCI) introduced in 2014, the rate of mother-to-child infection has almost come down from 12 per cent to less than six per cent in the current scenario, which is a record improvement.
A detailed report in this regard is being drafted by the State Health Department.
�Before 2014, a child born out of a HIV infected mother remained undiagnosed till 18 months of its birth, which often proved to be too late,� an official working in the field of HIV intervention said.
�With it being reduced to six weeks as per the revised guidelines, the HIV-exposed child could be saved from life threatening infections and deaths due to pneumonia and diarrhoea (HIV being the underlying cause). The effect of the antibody of the mother is also negated, which results in reduction of child mortality rate,� the official added.
�The new method has proved to be a life saving one with the transmission rate of HIV from mother to child has decreased by nearly 100 per cent (from 12 per cent to 6 per cent),� the official stated, revealing that the detailed report will be soon published.
�Like Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, we aim to bring down the rate of such infection below two per cent. However, for that to happen, the adherence level in terms of following the specific healthcare guidelines has to improve in Assam,� said another top official of the Health and Family Welfare Department.
Sources at the Health and Family Welfare Department informed that a detailed compilation of the HIV interventions is being prepared, and there are marked improvement achieved in many fronts.
The National AIDS Control Programme data shows that Assam has been able to test 22,56,569 pregnant women as on October 31, 2017, of which 1,209 were found be HIV infected.
