SC seeks explanation from govt over free ART

New Delhi, Aug 31 (UNI) The Supreme Court today sought an explanation within two weeks from the Union Health Ministry for not being able to achieve the target of providing Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) to one lakh HIV positive patients by the end of 2005.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal directed the Health Ministry to file an affidavit within two weeks giving the reasons for not being able to achieve the target which the government now proposes to achieve by the end of 2007.

According to status report filed by the government in the apex court, the government has announced this programme-cum-policy with effect from April 1, 2004 to provide free ART to the HIV positive patients. The programme was launched in eight government hospitals in six prevalence states -- Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Manipur, Nagaland and NCT of Delhi.

At present there are 54 NACO ART centres providing free ART. In addition nine centres are being supported by state governments of Kerala, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir. The departments of Railway, ESI, SAIL and Armed Forces are also providing free ART to their employees.

A total of 36110 patients were receiving free ART at NACO ART centres as on July 2006. The government aims to increase the number of centres from 54 to 100 by September 2006 and to provide free ART to one lakh patients by the end of 2007 and three lakh more patients by 2011.

NACO has already acquired drugs for 85320 patients for the years 2006-07. The ART treatment does not cure the patient completely but suppresses viral replications, slows or halts disease progression restoring the balance within the immune system, prolongs longevity in AIDS cases and improves quality of life.

Effective ART regimens have shown success in terms of delaying the onset of AIDS and has transformed the common conception about HIV from being a virtual death sentence to a chronic manageable illness.

The court has also directed the petitioners to file their rejoinders within two weeks thereafter.

The average cost of ARV drugs (I-line) is Rs 7800 per person per year. The second line drugs are nearly ten times costly and are therefore, not a part of NACO's programme at present.

UNI AKS/SC YA SSC1530