About CST

The Care Support and Treatment of people living with HIV (PLHIV) is an important component of Uttar Pradesh State Aids Control Society (UPSACS), Phase IV (NACP IV) and aims to provide comprehensive management to PLHIV with respect to prevention and treatment of Opportunistic Infections, Antiretroviral Theory (ART), psychological support, home based care, positive prevention and impact mitigation.

All diagnostic as well as therapeutic services related to ART are provided free of cost to PLHIVs. Any person who has confirmed HIV infection is registered in HIV care at ART centre and is subjected to CD 4 count and baseline investigation. All those eligible as per national technical guidelines are started on ART.

Over the years, scale up of ART in the state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) has posed several challenges, particularly with reference to infrastructure, regular supply of drugs, quality of care, adherence to treatment etc. Reaching out to ‘Lost to Follow-up’ (LFU) cases and convincing them to re-initiate the treatment has been very challenging. The objective of linking prevention with access to prophylaxis, management of opportunistic infections and ART to achieve ‘continuum of care’, the state had tried and achieved such linkages at many places. At other places, however, this is yet to be achieved.

The strategy includes identification of institutions, strengthening referral linkages for CD4 testing, capacity building of ART teams and provision of ARV drugs. Care, support and treatment services include management of opportunistic infections including control of TB in PLHA, anti-retroviral treatment (ART), safety measures, positive prevention and impact mitigation.

All diagnostic as well as therapeutic services related to ART are provided free of cost to PLHIV. Any person who has a confirmed HIV infection is registered in HIV care at ART centre and is subjected to further evaluation for determining whether she /he requires ART or not by performing CD 4 count and other baseline investigations. All those eligible as per national technical guidelines are started on ART.