HIV patients would no longer be compelled to visit the capital to find out the density of the virus in their blood once these facilities became operational, officials at NCASC said.[break]
Viral load tests measure the amount of active HIV virus in the blood of HIV-infected people. Doctors says that people with higher viral loads have a greater risk of damaging their immune system, which in turn leaves the body at risk of opportunistic infections. They say such tests are essential to determine whether or not anti-retroviral therapy (ART) is working in a given patient.
Currently, only the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) under the Department of Health Services (DoHS) has such facilities and this compels patients to visit the capital if they need to learn about the density of the virus in their blood.
"Infected people will no longer be compelled to visit the capital once such facilities are available at the regional centers," said Dr Naresh Pratap KC, director of NCASC. Dr KC said that the viral load test is required to monitor the HIV status to guide recommendations for therapy, and to predict the future course of the HIV infection.
He said that doctors prescribe ART to patients according to the virus level shown by the viral load test. NCASC said such centres will be established at Dhangadi and in Chitwan as well as at Koshi Zonal Hospital.
Dr KC said the office plans to establish such centers at least at the regional level. "Because of financial reasons we cannot set up these facilities at all centers at once," he said, adding that the equipment costs a huge amount and the reagents used for the test are also costly.
The office informed that the Global Fund has been extending its support for establishing the viral load test centers at regional hospitals.
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