Doctor: Knowing your HIV status is key to getting service

ALMOST half of the countries in the world are yet to include human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) self-test programmes in their response to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a doctor says
Dr Ishwar Gilada is the first medical doctor to begin HIV medical management when the first case was diagnosed in India in 1986.
“Half of the countries (98) have included HIV self-testing policies, and one-quarter of nations (52) are routinely implementing it,” Gilada said.
“Self-tests for the Coronavirus (Covid-19), pregnancy, diabetes, have not only proven successful in increasing the uptake of tests but also how it links to care services.
“Unless we ensure that all the people living with HIV know their status, how will every person with HIV receive full cascade of HIV care services and stay virally suppressed (maintain undetectable viral load)?
“HIV testing is the key entry point to HIV care cascade.
“Ensuring that every person with HIV has undetectable viral load, as ‘undetectable equals untransmittable,’ is the only pathway towards ending AIDS.”
In 2019, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended HIV self-testing as part of HIV care cascade as it is an important approach to address gaps in HIV diagnoses, especially among key populations.
Since most nations could not meet 2020 AIDS targets, now the eyes are set on 2030 goalpost of 95-95-95 targets (95 per cent of people living with HIV to know their status, 95 per cent of them should be on ART (antiretroviral therapy), and 95 per cent of these be virally suppressed).
HIV self-test is one of the key cog-in-the-wheel to “reaching out to the last mile” for first-95 target.