Background: Viral hepatitis is a global health problem with 170 million Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) carriers worldwide, and 12-13 million HCV carriers in India. Unscreened blood and components play a significant role in transmission of HCV apart from reuse of injection needles, unsterilized surgical equipments and vertical transmission from mother to child. Unsafe blood transfusion not only poses risk to patients, causing significant morbidity and mortality, but also adds to the economical burden on healthcare system. Aims and Objectives: Aim of this study is to estimate the seroprevalence of HCV infection among the voluntary and relative donors over a period of 7 years at blood banks of Madhya Pradesh with collaboration of Madhya Pradesh State AIDS control Society (MPSACS) Bhopal, India from 2011 to 2017. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study of blood donation at blood banks, of Madhya Pradesh, India. Blood units were screened for TTIs from January 2011 To December 2017. HIV, HCV and HBV tests were done by ELISA. Data of HCV was collected and compared statistically by frequency distribution and percentage proportion. Chi Square (χ 2) test was used to determine the significant difference statistically. Results: The mean age of donors was 32.4 2 ± 8.63 years. Major contribution was from male donors (93.8%). Majority of donation was done voluntarily (87.3 %). Out of the total 1,876,219 donors tested for TTIs over 7 years, 1980 (0.11%) were positive to anti HCV (p=.000001). Conclusion: The prevalence of HCV infection was 0.11% among blood donors of Madhya Pradesh, with geographic variation among districts. Aiming to provide safe blood to the patients, prevention of transmission of HCV by proper donor counseling and screening of the unit is required.
To analyze critical steps in the testing algorithm of the National Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) program in India.
BACKGROUND:For the past two decades, there has been an enduring HIV epidemic among injecting drug users (IDUs) in India, and the Indian national AIDS control program (NACP) led by the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) has kept IDUs at the forefront along with other key populations, in its efforts to prevent HIV. Given this, the objective of this study is to examine the association between IDUs' degree of exposure to peer-led education sessions (under NACP) and their needle sharing practices in Haryana, India.METHODS:The data for this study were drawn from a program monitoring system for the years 2009-2010 and 2010-2011. The relationship between IDUs' background characteristics/injecting practices and degree of exposure to the program was assessed using chi-square and Student's t tests. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to examine changes in needle sharing practices over time by degree of exposure to peer-led education sessions. Further, the analysis was stratified by frequency of injecting drug use. All statistical analyses were conducted using STATA version 11.RESULTS:The proportion of IDUs who shared needles substantially decreased from 2009 to 2011, particularly among those who attended three or more peer-led education sessions (49% vs 11%, p < 0.001) in a month. Further, subgroup analysis by frequency of injecting drugs demonstrates that this decline was significant among IDUs who injected frequently (adjusted odds ratio = 0.6, 95% confidence interval = 0.3-0.9, p = 0.043).CONCLUSION:The study results indicate that repeated peer-led outreach sessions are more effective than exposure to a single education session. Hence, HIV prevention programs must promote repeated peer contacts with IDUs every month (at least two meetings) in order to promote safe injecting practices and behavior change.
