No HIV positive pregnant woman was found in Udupi district between April-October: DHO

Personalities working remarkably containing HIV to be felicitated on World Aids Day on December 1

District Health Officer (DHO) Nagabhushana Udupa on Tuesday said that not a single pregnant woman was found HIV positive among the 11,733 pregnant women tested during 2022-23 (till October) in the district, while six were found positive last year.

Speaking to reporters at Udupi, Dr. Udupa said 58,801 persons tested for HIV in the district during 2022-23 and 137 were found to be positive. The numbers were 183 in 2021-22 and 189 in 2020-21.

The DHO said transmission of the disease from mother to child was not reported in the district since 2016. As many as 3,981 HIV-positive persons were undergoing treatment in the district including 2,607 in Udupi ART Centre, 1,293 in Kundapura ART Centre and 81 in KMC Manipal Centre.

Dr. Udupa said the district has been among the low-burden districts in the State while Bengaluru and Belagavi were in the high-burden category, with eight districts in the medium-burden category.

While 48 HIV-infected persons died in the district this year, 90 died the previous year. Of the 137 infected persons this year, 46 were from other districts and three from other States. While examining blood donated in camps, nine were found to be positive, he said.

The district had a target of collecting 15,000 units of blood this year (till October) and collected 18,624 units by achieving 124% target. Last year, 27,985 units of blood were collected.

Dr. Udupa said the department has planned to conduct awareness programmes on HIV and other adolescent diseases for girls in 217 schools in the district during December. Information workshops too would be conducted in schools.