An American man who leaked confidential details of thousands of HIV-positive people in Singapore, most of them foreigners, has been jailed in the United States for two years.

Combination HIV interventions in HIV-hyperendemic fishing communities in Uganda resulted in increased testing, male circumcision and ART coverage, as well as increased population HIV viral load suppression, according to findings from a prospective cohort study published in The Lancet HIV.

“Decreases in HIV incidence with combination HIV intervention scale-up have been reported in some lowerrisk populations, but to our knowledge this is the first report of prospectively observed declines in overall HIV incidence with rapid scale-up of combination HIV interventions in HIV-hyperendemic communities,” Joseph Kagaayi, MBChB, director of the Institute of Public Health at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, and colleagues wrote.

HIV-hyperendemic geographical areas have specific social-behavioral, demographic and structural characteristics — including high levels of mobility, transactional sex and large proportions of men — that may hinder interventions.

The researchers conducted a prospective cohort study from 2011 to 2017 to determine the effect of combination HIV interventions on HIV incidence and evaluate trends in coverage of combination HIV interventions. They administered five surveys to collect self-reported demographic, behavioral and service-uptake data from patients aged 15 to 49 years who lived in four HIV-hyperendemic fishing communities in Uganda. They provided free HIV testing at each interview and offered referrals to combination HIV intervention services when appropriate. implemented Interventions that included establishing a new community-based HIV clinic in the largest of the four fishing communities, providing male circumcision through mobile camps and initiating ART in these communities.

A total of 8,942 patients contributed data, of 52% were . The researchers reported an HIV prevalence of 41% in the 2011-2012 baseline survey, which declined to 37% at the final survey in 2016-2017 (< .0001). From the first to the last survey, HIV testing coverage increased from 68% to 96%. Male circumcision coverage increased from 35% to 65% and ART coverage increased from 16% to 82%. They noted that population HIV viral load suppression in all HIV-positive patients increased from 34% to 80%. However, risky sexual behaviors did not decrease over the study period.

According to Kagaayi and colleagues, HIV incidence decreased from 3.43 per 100 person-years (95% CI, 2.45-4.67) at the first survey to 1.59 per 100 person-years (95% CI, 1.19-2.07) at the final survey for an adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) of 0.52 (95% CI, 0.34-0.79). They noted that declines in incidence were similar for men (IRR = 0.53; 95% CI, 0.3-0.93) and women (IRR = 0.51; 95% CI, 0.27-0.96). Circumcised men had a lower risk of incident HIV infection than uncircumcised men (IRR = 0.46; 95% CI, 0.32-0.67).

“Despite surpassing 90-90-90 goals and almost reaching 95-95-95 goals of around 86% population viral suppression, HIV incidence in the Ugandan fishing communities remained 15times higher than the suggested incidence required for HIV epidemic control (ie, 0.1 per 100 person-years) from previous modeling studies,” the researchers wrote.

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BAHAWALNAGAR    –   Citizens are concerned over the rapid rise in the number of AIDS cases with 24 cases reported recently in the district.

The Health Department has confirmed 15 prisoners in the district jail and nine citizens as having HIV on Monday.

Bahawalnagar Health Department had diagnosed 24 patients with AIDS during the last eight months. Out of these cases, 10 were discovered during the past two months.

District Officer Health Dr Waheed Afsar Bajwa said that 15 of the AIDS patients were prisoners at the Bahawalnagar District Jail, adding that nine citizens were also diagnosed with AIDS.

He said that those diagnosed with the disease were between the ages of 20 and 30 years and one patient out of the total 24 was a woman. The Nation has also acquired the list of the patients diagnosed with AIDS.

Dr Waheed said that the use of surgical instruments by quacks was the main reason behind these cases, adding that the frequent use of disposable syringes also caused infection. He said that on instructions of the Punjab government, measures were being taken to eradicate the disease.

Meanwhile, according to the jail sources, the prisoners diagnosed with AIDS were not separated from rest of the prisoners-a serious threat to the wellbeing of other inmates. Superintendent Jail Zubair Cheema, while talking to The Nation, refuted the presence of any prisoner diagnosed with AIDS.

He said that according to the results of blood sampling of prisoners, no prisoner was infected with AIDS. He, however, said that PCR and other tests were yet to be conducted for Hepatitis and AIDS.

He said that according to the notification of the Punjab government, prisoners were held separately until screening tests for Hepatitis and AIDS.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Health Department has not taken steps for the eradication of the spread of AIDS among inmates and citizens, and all their efforts are limited to the files only.

The increase in the number of AIDS cases has also not prompted the department to constitute a ward for patients.

CEO Health Dr Waseem told The Nation that no separate ward was established for AIDS patients because those diagnosed with HIV virus were at early stages of the disease and did not need to be hospitalised. He said that no patient had been identified so far who needed to be admitted to a hospital.

Citizens and social circles across the district have demanded that Health Secretary take notice of the lethargic attitude of the Health Department who are not taking measures to control the spread of the disease.

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A prisoner’s petition in the Andhra Pradesh High Court (HC) seeking bail for AIDS treatment has led to a shocking revelation that 27 inmates of the Rajamahendravaram Central Prison are afflicted by AIDS.

The HC heard the case on Wednesday and reacted sharply demanding the jail authorities furnish a detailed report on the total number of AIDS patients in the jail and the medical treatment being given to them.

The prisoner, Challa Yedukondalu, a native of Guntur district, was convicted in a murder case and is serving a life term from February 2 last year.

Pre-existing condition

Speaking to The Hindu, the Jail Superintendent S. Rajarao said 19 of the 27 prisoners identified as AIDS patients, were afflicted by the virus when they came to serve their terms.

Mr. Rajarao said the remaining eight of them were referred to the local Government General Hospital for medical check-ups after they showed signs of weakness. A series of tests confirmed they were suffering from AIDS.

He said the eight of them had admitted that their risky sexual behaviour was responsible for their condition. “The prison records show that Yedukondalu was hit by the AIDS causing virus in 2006,” he added.

He ruled out the possibility of AIDS-affliction through blood transfusion or homosexual acts in the jail. “We take all precautions,” he said, informing that the affected patients were given doctor-prescribed diet of 100 gm mutton, 250 ml milk, a boiled egg and multi-vitamin tablets daily.

The jail officials have been asked to submit a detailed report on Friday.

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