Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel To Inaugurate Conference On Enhancing HIV Prevention Services To End AIDS By 2030 News24 –

The largest conference of HIV medical experts and scientists in India this year, the 16th National Conference of AIDS Society of India (ASICON 2025), will be held in Ahmedabad, Gujarat during 21-23 February 2025. This is the first time that ASICON has come to Ahmedabad. It is being organised by AIDS Society of India (ASI) which is the largest medical professional association of HIV experts in the country. Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Bhupendra Patel will inaugurate ASICON 2025 on 21st February 2025.

Scientific partners of ASICON 2025 include the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) and National TB Elimination Programme, Central TB Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India; Gujarat Medical Council; Infectious Diseases Society of Gujarat; UNAIDS; CAPRISA (Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa); AHF India Cares; among others. Gujarat Tourism and Indian Convention Promotion Bureau under Ministry of Tourism, Govt of India are also partnering with the ASICON 2025.

ASICON 2025 will bring hundreds of different medical experts involved in medical management of HIV and HIV-related co-infections and co-morbidities from across the country. ASICON 2025 faculty includes Indian experts as well as experts from other countries such as South Africa, UK, Italy, Germany, Kenya, among others.

ASICON 2025 scientific programme features key updates such as – latest HIV epidemiological data of Asia and the Pacific region as well as India, HIV testing (including learnings on HIV self-testing from other countries as it is currently not part of NACO-led HIV services), HIV treatment science including long-acting antiretroviral therapy regimens for people living with HIV, stem cell transplants, latest research updates on Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (including Lenacapavir – an injectable taken twice yearly – which shows almost 100% protection from HIV acquisition; injectable Cabotagravir; and Doxy PrEP to protect people from few STIs); HIV-TB and drug resistance; advanced HIV disease; HIV and ageing (and adult vaccination); HIV and hepatitis co-infection; human papilloma virus (HPV) related cancers; prevention of HIV transmission from mother to child (and update on progress towards elimination of vertical transmission in India); use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in HIV responses; cybersecurity in Healthcare and Climate change among others.

HIV And India

According to NACO, when compared to 2010, HIV rates have almost halved in India by 2023 (44.23% decline, which is more than the global decline in the same period 39%) and AIDS-related deaths have declined by 79.26% in India by 2023 (which is more than the global decline in the same period 51%). In 2023, there were 25.44 lakh people living with HIV in India with an adult HIV prevalence around 0.20% in the Indian population (which is below the global average of 0.70%). There were 68,450 new HIV infec7ons diagnosed and 35,870 people died of AIDS in India in 2023. In 2023, there were 19,961 pregnant women living with HIV who needed medical services for preventing HIV transmission before, during and ader childbirth (as part of the elimination of vertical transmission of HIV programme of NACO).

HIV And Gujarat

According to NACO, in Gujarat by 2023, adult HIV prevalence in the population was 0.19% (which is similar to the national average of 0.20%). There were 1,20,312 people living with HIV and 800 people with HIV died in Gujarat in 2023. There were 2671 new people diagnosed with HIV in 2023 in Gujarat. Compared to 2010, by 2023, decline of HIV incidence in Gujarat was 56.86% (which is more than the national average decline of 44.23%). ASICON Co-Chair Dr Harsh Toshniwal said this is a great opportunity for the state of Gujarat, as the state has got its first chance to host ASICON and thus benefit the medical scientific community in Gujarat to gear up towards ending AIDS by 2030.

Only 70 Months left To End AIDS

All governments have promised to end AIDS by 2030. But we have the scientific evidence-based tools to do so now! We can prevent all transmission of HIV, diagnose all those with HIV, provide lifesaving antiretroviral therapy and keep them virally suppressed – so that all those with HIV can lead healthy and fulfilling lives and no one gets newly infected with HIV. WHO evidence strongly shows that if people living with HIV are virally suppressed then there is zero risk of any further HIV transmission from them. We need to do beger to prevent HIV as well as care for those living with HIV,” said Dr Ishwar Gilada, President Emeritus of AIDS Society of India (ASI) and Governing Council member of International AIDS Society (IAS) and its regional Chair for Asia and the Pacific. He is the first medical doctor to begin HIV care in India when first case was diagnosed in 1986 and established country’s first HIV clinic in government’s JJ Hospital, Mumbai.

Where Are We On 95-95-95 Targets For 2025?

95-95-95 targets to be achieved by 2025 mean that 95% of all people living with HIV should know their status, 95% of those who know their status should receive lifesaving antiretroviral therapy, and 95% of those on the treatment should be virally suppressed.

In India, as of March 2024 (according to NACO’s 6th Sankalak Report 2024), 81% of people living with HIV in India knew their HIV status (20.49 lakh people). Out of these, 88% were receiving antiretroviral therapy (17.95 lakh people – including 1.06 lakh people who were receiving it from the private sector) and out of those receiving the treatment, 97% were virally suppressed (17.49 lakhs). Globally, 86% people living with HIV knew their status, 89% were on an7retroviral therapy, and 93% of those on antiretroviral therapy were virally suppressed.

“Out of total estimated number of people with HIV in India (25.44 lakhs), 71% were on antiretroviral therapy, and 69% were virally suppressed by March 2024,” said ASI President Dr Dilip Mathai. “We need to ensure 100% of those who know their status must be on antiretroviral therapy and virally suppressed.”

Out of those who were newly diagnosed with HIV in India, around 93% were initiated on lifesaving antiretroviral therapy. But in several states (and UTs), the number of those on free treatment was lower (such as, Assam, Chandigarh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry, and Sikkim). Initiation of antiretroviral therapy ranged between around 47% in Puducherry and 76% in Assam. It is also worrying that 1.69 lakh people were lost to follow up by March 2024.

New HIV infections surged by over 400% during 2010-2023 in few Indian states like Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh and doubled in Punjab and Meghalaya. Despite a lower national prevalence (0.20%), HIV rates in Mizoram (2.73%), Nagaland (1.37%), and Manipur (0.87%) significantly exceed the national average. In 2023-2024, injecting drug use was the main transmission route in some states (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Tripura) accounting for 61-77% of newly diagnosed people with HIV.

HIV prevalence remains very high among key populations such as migrants, truckers, female sex workers, prison inmates, men who have sex with men, hijra/transgender person and, people who inject drugs. These groups experience HIV rates 9-43 7mes higher than the general adult population. According to a 2021 report by the National Centre for Disease Control (Directorate General of Health Services) based on HIV sen7nel surveillance under NACP, Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) seroprevalence ranges from 0.95% in female sex workers to 3.09% in people who inject drugs, whereas Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) seroprevalence varies from 0.67% in migrants to 33.41% in people who inject drugs. HCV rates among people who inject drugs and are HIV posi7ve is very high at 82.23%.

Co-infections management is a critical need to reduce morbidities and mortalities among people with HIV. The population is aging with around 37% of total people with HIV in India estimated to be aged 50 years or more. 4% of people with HIV were screened as those with presumptive TB, out of which 4-6% were diagnosed with ac7ve TB disease (and over 99% of them started TB treatment). Annual viral load tests have been increasing from 2.4 lakh in 2018-2019 to 13.78 lakh in 2023-2024 through both government and private labs.

India has made significant stride towards the goal of eliminating ver7cal transmission of HIV and syphilis. In 2023-2024, about 19,100 HIV-posi7ve pregnant women were identified, 63% increase from 2020-2021. The resultant increase in treatment coverage reduced the vertical transmission rate from over 25% in 2020 to around 11.75% in 2023. Addi7onally, treatment coverage for syphilisinfected pregnant women increased from 78% in 2021-2022 to around 90% in 2023-2024.

“Preventing HIV transmission means that we do 100% in ensuring access of everyone (especially those who are more at risk) to the full range of HIV combination prevention options. For example, India needs to rollout PrEP options in its public programmes without any further delay (PrEP was first approved by US FDA in 2012). We need to do a lot more to find all those with HIV so rolling out proven approaches such as HIV self-testing is important. Regular treatment monitoring to ensure adherence and prevent advanced HIV disease, HIV related co-infections and co-morbidities, and address ageing related issues like NCDs, is also important,” said Dr Gilada.