HIV/AIDS treatment need to move beyond ART, says expert

Dr Solomon, professor in Microbiology, was the first person to detect AIDS in India. She was delivering a lecture on ‘25 years of AIDS in India - Lessons learnt and future challenges” at Rajendra Bhavana, at JSS hospital premises in Mysore.

The lecture was organised by IAP, Mysore, Academic Society, JSS Medical College, and Ashakirana as part of the late Dr Surya Narayana Memorial Oration.

“When we first set out to collect samples of sex workers in Chennai, there wasn’t much support from medical fraternity.

None beleived HIV/AIDS could be traced in India, and it affected only African countries. But when we detected six cases at the outset over 25 years ago, the conservative society was shocked, because they weren’t willing to admit many things - like sex workers existed, and men having sex with men was a reality, and youngsters did drugs in our country,” she said.

Media only wanted to know if India would go the Africa way, with the HIV/AIDS affecting large section of population and country being unable to control the epidemic — owing to the costs involved.

Two and half decades later, today, Indin has successfully controlled the situation. “Today, it is time to look at second line medication beyond handing out ART drugs.

With targeted intervention, the high risk groups — which were identified as sex workers, truck drivers and men having sex with men — have come under control and reined in the rate at which the infection spread in the last few years. About 2.3 million people live with infection in the country. Children living with AIDS need special focus now,” she added.
Dr H Basavanagoudappa, Principal JSS Medical College, Dr P A Kushalappa, Dr K B Mahendrappa, Dr S N Mothi and Dr G V Manjunath were present on the occasion.