Projected impact of fast-tracking of anti-retroviral treatment coverage on vertical transmission of HIV in India.

One of the five high-level goals under Phase V of the National AIDS and STD Control Programme (NACP) of the Government of India is the elimination of vertical transmission of HIV. In this paper, we estimate the potential impact of maintaining and enhancing the anti-retroviral treatment under the NACP in terms of averting new infections and vertical transmission rates vis-à-vis no intervention scenario. We used India's HIV Estimates 2022 models to create treatment coverage scenarios of no interventions, status quo, business as usual, on-track and fast-track scenarios from 2023 to 2030.

Augmenting progress on the elimination of vertical transmissions of HIV in India: Insights from Spectrum-based HIV burden estimations.

The government of India has adopted the elimination of vertical transmission of HIV as one of the five high-level goals under phase V of the National AIDS and STD Control Programme (NACP). In this paper, we present the data from HIV estimations 2021 for India and select States detailing the progress as well as the attributable causes for vertical transmissions. The NACP spearheads work on mathematical modelling to estimate HIV burden based on the periodically conducted sentinel surveillance for guiding program implementation and policymaking.

Diversity in HIV epidemic transitions in India: An application of HIV epidemiological metrices and benchmarks.

Background: The Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) has emphasized on the incidence-prevalence ratio (IPR) and incidence-mortality ratio (IMR) to measure the progress in HIV epidemic control. In this paper, we describe the status of epidemic control in India and in various states in terms of UNAIDS's recommended metrices.

Method: The National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) of India spearheads work on mathematical modelling to estimate HIV burden based on periodically conducted sentinel surveillance for providing guidance to program implementation and policymaking.

Determinants of severity among hospitalised COVID-19 patients: Hospital-based case-control study, India, 2020.

Background: Risk factors for the development of severe COVID-19 disease and death have been widely reported across several studies. Knowledge about the determinants of severe disease and mortality in the Indian context can guide early clinical management.

Methods: We conducted a hospital-based case control study across nine sites in India to identify the determinants of severe and critical COVID-19 disease.

District-level HIV estimates using the spectrum model in five states of India, 2017.

Decentralized response has been the hallmark of the National AIDS Control Programme in India. District-level HIV burden estimates quantifying the distribution of the epidemics are needed to enhance this decentralized response further to monitor the progress on prevention, testing, and treatment interventions. In this paper, we describe the methodology and results of district-level estimates using the Spectrum model piloted in 5 states of India under National AIDS Control Programme.

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among the general population and healthcare workers in India, December 2020-January 2021.

Background: Earlier serosurveys in India revealed seroprevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) of 0.73% in May-June 2020 and 7.1% in August-September 2020.

SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence in India, August-September, 2020: findings from the second nationwide household serosurvey.

Background: The first national severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) serosurvey in India, done in May-June, 2020, among adults aged 18 years or older from 21 states, found a SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody seroprevalence of 0·73% (95% CI 0·34-1·13). We aimed to assess the more recent nationwide seroprevalence in the general population in India.

Methods: We did a second household serosurvey among individuals aged 10 years or older in the same 700 villages or wards within 70 districts in India that were included in the first serosurvey.

Unsterile injection equipment associated with HIV outbreak and an extremely high prevalence of HCV-A case-control investigation from Unnao, India.

The integrated counseling and testing center (ICTC) located in the district hospital, Unnao in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh (UP), India witnessed an increased detection of HIV among its attendees in July 2017. Subsequently, health camps were organized by the UP State AIDS Control Society in the villages and townships contributing to such detection. We conducted a case-control study to identify factors associated with this increased detection; 33 cases and 125 controls were enrolled.

Findings from the 2017 HIV estimation round & trend analysis of key indicators 2010-2017: Evidence for prioritising HIV/AIDS programme in India.

Background & Objectives: The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) and the ICMR-National Institute of Medical Statistics, the nodal agency for conducting HIV estimations in India, have been generating HIV estimates regularly since 2003. The objective of this study was to describe India's biennial HIV estimation 2017 process, data inputs, tool, methodology and epidemiological assumptions used to generate the HIV estimates and trends of key indicators for 2010-2017 at national and State/Union Territory levels.

Methods: Demographic Projection (DemProj) and AIDS Impact Modules (AIM) of Spectrum 5.

National sero-surveillance to monitor the trend of SARS-CoV-2 infection transmission in India: Protocol for community-based surveillance.

Conducting population-based serosurveillance for severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) will estimate and monitor the trend of infection in the adult general population, determine the socio-demographic risk factors and delineate the geographical spread of the infection. For this purpose, a serial cross-sectional survey would be conducted with a sample size of 24,000 distributed equally across four strata of districts categorized on the basis of the incidence of reported cases of COVID-19. Sixty districts will be included in the survey.

Sustained progress, but no room for complacency: Results of 2015 HIV estimations in India.

Background & Objectives: Evidence-based planning has been the cornerstone of India's response to HIV/AIDS. Here we describe the process, method and tools used for generating the 2015 HIV estimates and provide a summary of the main results.

Methods: Spectrum software supported by the UNAIDS was used to produce HIV estimates for India as a whole and its States/Union Territories.

Descriptive study of the utility of individual tracking tool in program monitoring for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, Maharashtra, India.

Objective: The objective is to describe the utility of prevention of parent-to-child transmission tracking tool in terms of the in-depth information that it provides for better decision making to improve the services.

Methods: The excel-based tracking tool is initiated by 578 Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre (ICTC) Counsellor and shared with 70 antiretroviral treatment (ART) centres. Between April and September 2014, total of 1118 HIV-infected pregnant women were registered in the tool.

Use of technology in follow-up of HIV positive pregnant women and their babies till 18 months of age- an innovation by Maharashtra State AIDS Control Society (MSACS), India.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to assess the utility of web-based mobile technology monitoring tool, for ensuring linkages, and tracking of HIV-exposed child until 18 months of age.

Methods: The 'early infant diagnosis (EID) Follow-up System' was designed as a tool for reminding the field level staff for follow-up of HIV-exposed babies. Using Java Swing Framework, software was developed which generates automatic advance SMS alerts regarding patient information to the Counsellor of the respective Integrated Counselling and Testing Center and district supervisor, 7 days prior to due dates.

Modelling and estimation of HIV prevalence and number of people living with HIV in India, 2010-2011.

This paper provides HIV estimation methodology used in India and key HIV estimates for 2010-2011. We used a modified version of the Spectrum tool that included an Estimation and Projection Package as part of its AIDS Impact Module. Inputs related to population size, age-specific pattern of fertility, gender-ratio at birth, age and gender-specific pattern of mortality, and volume and age-gender distribution of net migration were derived from census records, the Sample Registration System and large-scale demographic health surveys.

Predictors of bisexual behaviour among MSM attending intervention sites may help in prevention interventions for this bridge to the heterosexual epidemic in India: data from HIV sentinel surveillance.

Background: Indian cultural tradition demanding marriage, many MSM howsoever they self-identify are likely to be married or have sex with women. To consolidate India's HIV prevention gains, it is important to understand and address the interaction between the MSM and heterosexual epidemics in India and create specific interventions for bisexual MSM. The challenge is to identify and intervene this hard to reach population.

Estimate of HIV prevalence and number of people living with HIV in India 2008-2009.

Objectives: To update the estimation of the adult HIV prevalence and number of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in India for the year 2008-2009 with the combination of improved data and methods.

Design: Based on HIV sentinel surveillance (HSS) data and a set of epidemiological assumptions, estimates of HIV prevalence and burden in India have been derived.

Setting: HSS sites spread over all the States of India.

Initial virologic response and HIV drug resistance among HIV-infected individuals initiating first-line antiretroviral therapy at 2 clinics in Chennai and Mumbai, India.

Human immunodeficiency virus drug resistance (HIVDR) in cohorts of patients initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) at clinics in Chennai and Mumbai, India, was assessed following World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Twelve months after ART initiation, 75% and 64.6% of participants at the Chennai and Mumbai clinics, respectively, achieved viral load suppression of <1000 copies/mL (HIVDR prevention).

Surveillance of transmitted HIV type 1 drug resistance among HIV type 1-positive women attending an antenatal clinic in Kakinada, India.

The World Health Organizations HIV Drug Resistance (WHO HIVDR) Threshold survey method was used to assess transmitted HIVDR in newly diagnosed HIV-1-infected primigravida women attending the Prevention of Parent to Child Transmission (PPTCT) centers in Kakinada, in whom it is likely that the infection had recently occurred. Out of the 56 consecutively collected eligible specimens, 51 were tested using the ViroSeq RT-PCR method (Abbott Germany) to obtain 47 consecutive sequences for the HIV-1 protease (PR) and reverse transcriptase (RT) region. As per the 2009 WHO list of mutations for surveillance of transmitted HIVDR, only one nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) mutation was detected at K101E from all specimens tested, suggesting a low prevalence (<5%) of resistance to NNRTIs and no mutations were detected at other sites, suggesting a low prevalence (<5%) of resistance to nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI) and protease inhibitors (PI) drug classes as well.

Transmitted HIV drug resistance among HIV-infected voluntary counseling and testing centers (VCTC) clients in Mumbai, India.

A survey for transmitted HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) was conducted according to WHO guidelines among clients newly diagnosed with HIV-1 infection at two voluntary counseling and testing centers (VCTC) in Mumbai. HIVDR testing was performed using the ViroSeq RT-PCR method (Abbott). Out of 50 successfully amplified and sequenced specimens, analysis of the first 34 consecutively collected specimens revealed no nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, or protease inhibitor mutations from the 2007 WHO list of mutations for surveillance of transmitted HIVDR, indicating that the prevalence of transmitted HIVDR to all three drug classes was <5% among recently infected VCTC clients in Mumbai.

National estimate of HIV seroprevalence among tuberculosis patients in India.

The national estimate for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence among tuberculosis (TB) patients in India has previously been estimated indirectly from global data. To derive an improved national estimate from local data, we correlated district-level HIV surveillance data from antenatal clinics and TB diagnostic centres, and applied this correlation to state-level HIV prevalence estimates for the antenatal population. We estimate that among the 1.

Improved estimates of India's HIV burden in 2006.

Background & Objective: HIV estimates in India were based on HIV sentinel surveillance (HSS) data and several assumptions. Expansion of sentinel surveillance to all districts and community based HIV prevalence measured by National Family Health Survey-3 (NFHS-3) in 2006 provided opportunity to replace many of the assumptions with evidence based information and improve the HIV estimate closer to reality. This article presents a detailed account of the methodology used for the 2006 HIV burden estimates for India.

Process of estimating the number of people living with HIV in India.

This article attempts to appraise the methodology of estimating the people living with AIDS in India. In this estimation, the primary demographic data were obtained from Registrar General of India and Sample Registration System. HIV prevalence data was drawn from HIV Sentinel Surveillance conducted at 704 sites in 2005.