Government has to to include HIV/AIDS in Aarogyasri scheme to prevent spread of disease: Expert

Dr. Kutikuppala Suryarao, AIDS specialist..
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Noted physician and AIDS specialist Kutikuppala Surya Rao on Sunday (December 1, 2024) urged the State government to include AIDS disease also in Aarogyasri health care scheme as a majority of the patients were unable to afford treatment in private hospitals. He said that many innocent patients were affected by the disease due to their partners’ illicit affairs with AIDS-affected persons. Dr. Suryarao, who had undertaken studies on AIDS, and waged a relentless battle against the disease through his awareness programmes since 1986 spoke to the media, here, on the occasion of World AIDS Day observed on December 1 every year.

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Dr. Suryarao, who hails from Srikakulam, said that the chronic disease was spreading to due to lack of awareness among AIDS patients on the Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART), poor access to health care in their vicinity and high cost of treatment at private hospitals. “Many patients are concealing the disease due to fear of social boycott and spreading the disease silently. So, the government should create awareness among them about the importance of treatment. Many patients would come forward when the disease was included in Aarogyasri list,” he added.

According to him, many youngsters who were addicted to drugs and liquor have come under the vulnerable category of AIDs with the drop in immunity in their bodies due to their vices. Condom usage during intercourse has also come down significantly. It is also one of the main reasons for the spread of the disease. As many as 62,000 new patients are being added every year to the existing 23.49 lakh patients in the country. The disease is mostly prevalent in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and others as per the studies of the Union government. As many as 3.14 lakh patients with HIV/AIDS were identified in Andhra Pradesh alone as per the studies of Union Ministry of Health and Family Affairs.

“In the backdrop of identification of new cases, the government needs to put special focus on the issue for the complete eradication of HIV/AIDs. The patients should also follow World AIDS Day 2024 theme-Take the Right Path to protect themselves and prevent the spread of the disease to their dear ones and others,”said Dr. Suryarao.