Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART):
India is a facing shortage of dolutegravir (given to adults and children) and nevirapine drugs (only for infants) used in ART for HIV-positive patients.
- These drugs help in protecting CD4 cells thus keeping the immune system strong enough to fight off the disease.
- HIV attacks CD4 (a type of White Blood Cell (T cells)- which detects anomalies and infections in cells).
- Patient with HIV can have CD4 count as low as 200 (a normal person have a 500-1600 count)
- As per the India HIV Estimation 2019 report, incidences of HIV had been reducing in India since 2000.
- Recently: A US patient with leukaemia has become the first woman and the third person to date to be cured of HIV after receiving a stem cell transplant from a donor who was naturally resistant to the virus that causes AIDS
