India is no longer dependent on foreign aid or funding to tackle the burden of AIDS, said Dr Uday Bhanu Das, Deputy Director General of the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, on Friday.
Speaking at the 16th National Conference of the AIDS Society of India, being held in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, Das noted that a major chunk of funding for various AIDS programmes in the country comes from the government.
“Currently, 94 per cent of the funding for the National AIDS and STIs Control Programme comes from the Government of India, with just 6 per cent from the Global Fund. However, it is important to recognise that the Government of India also financially contributes to the Global Fund as well as the WHO. India has achieved financial self-sufficiency in its AIDS response,” Das said.
The Phase-V of the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) aims to reduce annual new HIV infections and AIDS-related mortalities by 80 per cent by 2025-26 from the baseline value of 2010 in the country.
Another key objective is achieving the 95-95-95 targets by 2025, which aim for 95 per cent of people living with HIV to know their status, 95 per cent of those diagnosed to receive lifesaving antiretroviral therapy, and 95 per cent of those on treatment to be virally suppressed.
“As of 2024, 84 per cent of people living with HIV in India were aware of their status, 86 per cent were receiving lifesaving antiretroviral therapy, and 94 per cent were virally suppressed,” Das said.
Globally, 86 per cent of people living with HIV knew their status, 89 per cent were on antiretroviral therapy, and 93 per cent of those on treatment were virally suppressed.
“If we are to end AIDS, we must ensure that all people with HIV know their status, 100 per cent of them receive lifesaving antiretroviral therapy, and 100 per cent achieve viral suppression. This will not only keep those with HIV healthy but also prevent further transmission,” said Dr Ishwar Gilada, President Emeritus of the AIDS Society of India (ASI).
According to NACO, India’s HIV rates have nearly halved since 2010, with a 44.23 per cent decline by 2023—surpassing the global decline of 39 per cent. AIDS-related deaths in India have also dropped by 79.26 per cent in the same period, compared to the global reduction of 51 per cent.
(Inputs from IANS)
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