For over a year now, several hospitals across India have reported shortage in HIV testing tips and antiretroviral drugs.
Dried blood spotting filter papers are required for testing the presence of HIV in infants between 0 and 18 months old. This method is carried out as part of a program that aims to determine the transmission of the virus between parent and child. Additionally, the country is also reporting and insufficient amount of HIV drugs that are available for use including Lopinavir, Ritonavir, and Septran. People who are living with HIV in the country also highlighted a dire scarcity of doctors who are qualified to administer antiretroviral therapy in the country. They claim that there have been no such doctors in two of the country's most prominent government hospitals for over a month. As a result, there was no one to monitor the health of antiretroviral patients in these facilities, both of which catered to thousands of patients living with HIV.
A representative from an HIV group in the capital wrote to the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO)on Friday saying that, "it's dangerous that so many centers are reporting stock-outs. Tamil Nadu reported a problem over 18 months ago and, until now, nothing has been done."
Until 2013, the pediatric HIV testing program in India was under the management of international health agencies. In an effort to prevent the transmission of the infection from mother to child, all pregnant women were subjected to HIV testing. Women who were found have positive results were immediately put under a treatment regimen that began during the 14th week of pregnancy. After giving birth, the infants who are under the program are tested for the virus until they are 18 months of age. To do this, health workers carried out periodic tests using the dried blood spotting filter papers that have now reportedly run out. After national aid was withdrawn, government officials put forward two proposals to the manufacturing companies, but the requests were not responded to. A source from NACO said that they are now in the process of issuing another offer.