GUWAHATI: On the occasion of World AIDS Day, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi assured that the government may soon take initiatives to provide affordable treatments to the patients who have been suffering from HIV-HCV co-infection. The theme of this year’s World AIDS Day is ‘Getting to zero-new HIV infection, zero-discrimination and zero-AIDS related deaths’. The programnme will continue till 2015. The proposal of providing affordable treatments to the patients who have been suffering from HIV-HCV co-infection was put forward by the president of Indian Network for Positive People Jahnavi Goswami. Responding to her proposal, the Chief Minister said, “Very soon the government will take initiative to provide affordable treatments to HIV-HCV co-infected patients after discussing about the matter with the State Health Minister, Dr Hemanta Biswa Sarma.” “Moreover, the whole treatment is very expensive and everyone can’t afford it. So, we will think over it whether we could reduce the cost of the treatment,” Gogoi added. In HIV-HCV co-infected patients, the hepatitis C (HCV) viral load is higher than in HCV mono infected patients in both the plasma and liver tissue. Patients who are HIV positive are commonly co-infected with HCV due to shared routes of transmission such as percutaneous exposure to blood, sexual intercourse and from mother to her infant. Infection with HCV can be asymptomatic, self limit which may also lead to cancer. The total costs of the treatment stand around Rs 5 to 7 lakhs per year. In his speech, Gogoi further said, “Generating awareness among the people regarding the disease is most important. No doubt awareness is there but it is not up to the mark. So, generating more awareness is the urgent need of the hour.” “Due to improvised treatment, the percentage of HIV affected patients is decreasing. Earlier, the people used to discard the HIV/AIDS affected patients from the society because they thought that this is a communicable disease. But now the scenario has changed, the doctors and people are coming forward to help the HIV affected patients,” Gogoi added. As per the data provided by Assam State AIDS Control Society, in Assam, a total of 6,121 numbers having HIV positive cases with positivity rate of 6.49 per thousand has been detected and number of AIDS cases diagnosed is 1,560. Out of 1,560, 1,158 are males and 402 are females. As per national estimates, Assam has 14,244 HIV positive people with an adult prevalence of 0.08 per cent which means more than 8,000 positive cases are still not detected. One more centre for second line treatment of HIV AIDS has been inaugurated at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital on the occasion of World AIDS Day. The centre will supply improvised medicines to the patients who were cured by the first line treatment. The Assam State AIDS Control Society and National AIDS Control Society jointly took the initiative to set up this centre. Other persons who were present in programme were Mormi Hajerbarman, Project Director, Assam State AIDS Control Society, PP Verma, Additional Chief Secretary Government of Assam, Ardendhu Dey, Minister of Irrigation and Soil Conservation, Prateek Hajela, Commissioner Secretary, Health Services, Jahnavi Goswami and Director of Health Services Dhruva Hazarika. Apart from this programme, the students of Epitome college staged a street play in order to create awareness regarding AIDS. The name of the play was Upalobdhi. On this occasion, a rally was also brought out in the city. Health workers, nurses, members of NGOs and common people also took part in the rally.