Lucknow: Nearly six in 10 people diagnosed with HIV are reaching hospitals only after the infection has weakened their immune system, pointing to persistent delays in diagnosis.The findings emerged from a two-year study conducted at Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences (RMLIMS) by Dr Amit Kumar, Prof Anupam Das, Prof Manodeep Sen and researchers from the departments of microbiology and medicine.Published in the Journal of the Indian Medical Association in May, the study analysed 402 newly diagnosed HIV-positive adults who visited the institute’s antiretroviral therapy (ART) centre between Jan 2021 and Jul 2022.Researchers found that 59.7% (240) of patients reported to the centre with a CD4 count below 350 cells/µl. CD4 cells are a type of white blood cells that help the body fight infections, and a low count indicates weakened immunity. Also, 35.1% had CD4 counts below 200 cells/µl, putting them at high risk of infections.Calling delayed diagnosis one of the biggest challenges in HIV control, the researchers stressed the need for stronger early screening programmes to make India’s “test and treat” strategy more effective in preventing illness and deaths.Young adults formed the largest group of newly diagnosed patients. Those aged 18-29 years accounted for 40.8% of cases, while men made up 73.4%. Nearly 61.2% patients were married.Heterosexual contact was the most common mode of transmission, accounting for 47% of infections, followed by injection drug use at 17.9%. In 22.1% of cases, the source of infection could not be determined.The study also found a rural skew, with 58% of patients coming from villages. Among them, 61.4% sought treatment only after their CD4 count fell below 350 cells/µl.Educational attainment was also low among many patients. Nearly one-third had studied only up to the primary level, while 21.9% were illiterate.
