Declining trend in HIV noticed among antenatal mothers, says Health Minister Vijaya Baskar

Talking about the prevalence of HIV in pregnant women, the health minister said that cases of HIV among pregnant women have reduced to 0.18 in 2020 from 0.83 in 2003 and 0.35 in 2008. “The state health department is undertaking universal screening of pregnant women for HIV as part of Antenatal Care Service Package. The elimination of mother to child transmission services are being implemented in close collaboration with maternal and child health programme of the National Health Mission to scale up prevention and care interventions among the ante-natal mothers,” he said.

Several objectives such as family planning, primary prevention of transmission from mother to infant, counselling, testing and Anti-Retroviral Therapy and counselling on infant feeding practices are being done under these programmes. Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar also said that Tamil Nadu stands first in voluntary blood donation across the nation and he also handed over appreciation certificates to the blood donation organisations, and blood banks.

Nearly 1,77,500 units of blood were donated during the pandemic with the help of resident welfare associations in the State. Of the total number of units donated, about 1,74,000 units of blood were used for COVID-19 positive patients for free of cost.

The officials from Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society and TN State Judicial Academy jointly organised the programme to spread awareness on blood donation among the public.