Burden of HIV AIDS in India and its cost of services in Mizoram

Abstract

HIV/AIDS is one of the leading causes of death in India among the productive age newlinegroups (30 to 49 years). It an alarming issue in the Northeast States of India. Mizoram newlineis the second smallest state in population size in India, but it has the highest adult HIV newlineprevalence rate since 2017. In this context, the present study aimed to examine the newlineburden of HIV/AIDS in India and the supply response of providing HIV/AIDS services newlineby the vulnerable state, Mizoram. The study employs a top-down approach by looking newlineat the problem at all India level and examining the data for possible solutions at the newlinemicro-level in Mizoram State, applying quantitative analysis. Primary and secondary newlinedata were used in the analysis. Secondary data from the Institute for Health Metrics newlineand Evaluation (IHME), World Bank, Sample Registration System (SRS), National newlineAIDS Control Organisation (NACO), Mizoram States AIDS Control Society newline(MSACS) and other macro-level data sources were used. A structured schedule was newlineemployed to collect primary data from the 13 Integrated Counselling and Testing newlineCentres (ICTC) and 36 Antiretroviral Therapy Centres (ARTC) staff members. The newlineburden of HIV/AIDS is calculated using the Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) newlineapproach to measure the health gaps. The cost accounting method is used to examine newlinethe distribution of costs to various activities and arrive at the unit cost of providing newlineAIDS services. newlineThe HIV/AIDS burden analysis showed that the expansion of HIV/AIDS services newlineduring 2000-2019 greatly influenced the burden of HIV/AIDS, during which newlineHIV/AIDS deaths have declined by 54 per cent for all age groups. The analysis showed newlinethat HIV/AIDS contribute more to mortality losses than healthy life losses due to newlinedisability. In 2019, seven-tenths of the DALYs lost were caused by disability among newlinethe 70 years and above age group. The expansion of free antiretroviral treatment to newlinePeople Living with HIV (PLHIV) has saved and prolonged their life. During 2000- newline2019, the average burden of HIV/AIDS in India was Rs 27,080 cr