Odisha first state to roll out combo test kit for HIV and Syphilis

By rolling out a combo kit for the screening of HIV and syphilis on the occasion of World AIDS Day on December 1, Odisha has become the first state in the country to introduce the kit for the rapid diagnostic tests for both the diseases.

After procuring funds from the National Health Mission (NHM), Odisha procured six lakh combo kits to carry out the tests in the first phase.

According to Mission Director of NHM Shalini Pandit, Odisha reports around 5.5 lakh to six lakh pregnancies a year and the combo kits will help screen both HIV and syphilis at one go. Results can be obtained on the spot with the kit-based test.

As per the recently released data, the HIV prevalence in Odisha is 0.14 per cent (pc) as against the national average of 0.22 per cent.

This combo-test would benefit pregnant mothers especially. With the testing done for both diseases at an early stage, necessary preventive measures could be started at an early stage to protect the mother as well as the child.

Officials in the state have been directed by the state Health and Family Welfare Minister Nabakishore Das to increase the frequency of screening for the diseases as it would provide timely treatment to expecting mothers.

As per the latest data released, out of 3, 11,295 pregnant women who were tested this year, only 228 have tested positive for HIV.

So far, 52,067 HIV positive patients have been detected in the state. While highest 76 pc among them are aged between 25 and 49, 88 pc of them were infected due to unprotected sex. The infectious disease has claimed 8939 lives.

However, “awareness and preventive measures have led to the fall in prevalence from 0.31 per cent in 2010 to 0.14 pc in 2019. All pregnant women will be screened for HIV and syphilis free of cost in the state,” Additional chief Secretary of Health department PK Mohapatra has said.

For protecting the health of pregnant women, the state government has decided to set up antiretroviral therapy (ART) centres at five more districts. The new centres will come up at the district headquarters hospital at Kendrapara, Keonjhar, Kalahandi and Gajapati besides the PRM Medical College and Hospital at Baripada. Apart from ART centres, Odisha has 232 integrated counselling and testing centres.

With this, the number of ARTs will increase to 19. Odisha has 232 integrated counselling and testing centres apart from 19 link-ART centres.

It may be noted that a standard OnSite HIV/Syphilis Ab Combo Rapid Test is a lateral flow chromatographic immunoassay for the qualitative detection of antibodies to HIV-1, HIV-2 and Treponema pallidum (Tp) in human serum, plasma or whole blood.

Features

• A three-line test that detects IgG, IgM & IgA to HIV-1, HIV-2 & T. pallidum
• Screening tool by screening for two diseases in a single device
• Use serum, plasma or whole blood
• Results available within 15 minutes
• Package insert (instruction for use)
• Cross-Reactivity: no cross-reactivity found on 10 positive specimens from 13 disease states, such as dengue, HIV, HBV, HAV, T. pallidum, TB and others
• No interference with some common substances, such as Bilirubin (20 mg/dL), Creatinine (442 µmol/L), EDTA (3.4 µmol/L), Glucose (55 mmol/L), Heparin (3,000 U/L), Human IgG (1,000 mg/L), Salicylic acid (4.34 mmol/L), Sodium citrate (3.8%)