Mid term appraisal of National AIDS Control Programme released

Streamlining financial management of state AIDS control societies (SACS) and filling of vacancies are among the the key recommendations made during the appraisal of the government's AIDS control programme today.
National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) under the Health Ministry today organized an event to disseminate the Mid Term Appraisal (MTA) report regarding the fourth phase of National AIDS Control Programme (NACP-IV).
"Focus on institutional strengthening - filling of vacancies, capacity building and strengthen supervision - to reinvigorate the programme. Streamline financial management at SACS and peripheral units for effective transfer and utilization of financial resources," the MTA recommendations said.
The MTA was conducted under the technical oversight of Steering Committee chaired by NACO secretary, while four technical sub-committees were constituted with representation from a wide range of stakeholders.

Noting that various programme components will largely be achieved or have been achieved, MTA concluded that the targets for scaling up HIV testing, both in terms of facilities as well as numbers tested, have been already achieved.
The report said that NACP-IV targets have also been achieved in terms of number of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) episodes managed with syndromic management.

In some other areas such as testing of pregnant women, collection of blood units in NACO supported blood banks, setting up of ART centres and mainstreaming efforts, where the targets of NACP-IV have not yet been reached, the programmes are well on track to achieve them by 2017, it said.

"Target to improve yield of detection through strong linkages with other components, roll out newer strategies such as community based testing, population and geo-prioritisation strategies.
NACP-IV had two objectives - reduce new infections by 50
per cent (2007 Baseline of NACP-III) and provide comprehensive care, support and treatment to persons living with HIV/AIDS.
The adult HIV prevalence at national level has continued its steady decline from an estimated peak of 0.38 per cent in 2001-03 through 0.34 per cent in 2007 and 0.28 per cent in 2012 to 0.26 per cent in 2015.
The Declining trends have been sustained in all high prevalence states like Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Manipur, Nagaland and Tamil Nadu, though stable and rising trends have been noted in some other states, a NACO official said.