Factors affecting enrolment of PLHIV into ART services in India

At the end of 2007, India had an estimated 2.31 million people living with HIV, and an HIV prevalence of 0.34 percent. Despite the low HIV prevalence, these statistics place India among countries with a large number of people living with HIV (PLHIV). To address the care and support needs of PLHIV, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, initiated a national program in 2004 to provide free antiretroviral therapy (ART) for PLHIV. By March 2009, there were 211 functioning Antiretroviral Treatment Centers and 254 Community Care Centers across the country, and to date 217,781 individuals are receiving ART. A major challenge for the health system has been to increase utilization of ART services and enrollment into the program. The Population Council, with support from the National AIDS Control Organization, undertook a multisite study in four high-HIV-preva¬lence and three low-HIV-prevalence-states. This document describes the context and factors that influence the uptake of ART services in those states.