The Centre for AIDS & Related Diseases  was established at National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) as a National Reference Laboratory as per NACO guidelines in the year 2002.  Prior to this it had existed as AIDS Reference Laboratory since 1985, one of the first reference centers in India , which started surveillance of HIV- infection in the Country.

Presently the division has expanded to include multifarious activities. Units that are functioning at Centre for AIDS & Related Diseases can be outlined as follows:

1.      Apex Laboratory for External Quality Assessment Scheme (EQAS) for HIV testing under NACP-III

2.      National Reference Centre HIV/AIDS

3.      Quality Control Unit

4.      Immunology Unit

5.      AIDS Associated Opportunistic Infections Unit

6.      Sexually transmitted diseases Unit

7.      Molecular Biology Unit

8.      Voluntary Confidential Counseling and Testing Centre

9.      Central Blood Collection

10. Storage and supply of HIV test kits

1.       Apex Laboratory for External Quality Assessment Scheme (EQAS) for HIV testing under NACP-III.

This laboratory will  be involved in preparation sera panels for quality assessment of kits/drugs.

2.      National Reference Centre for HIV / AIDS is functioning since 1985.

·        Diagnostic HIV testing services for walk in patients.

·        Reference service for confirmation of serological test results generated by surveillance centres as per the National HIV testing guidelines

·        States utilizing the serological testing services are Delhi , Haryana,Rajasthan,Jammu& Kashmir.

3. Quality Control Unit:

National quality control services are provided through:

·        Conducting EQAS (External Quality Assessment Scheme) for the states of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Jammu Kashmir.

·        Cross-checking of results of serological tests carried out by surveillance centres/blood banks of these States. In case of default test errors are identified and rectified. Appropriate training to the defaulting Centre is provided as per the requirement.

·        Sera panel are prepared, coded & dispatched to the participating VCCTC / blood banks of these states..

·        Serological tests carried out on coded samples and results generated by the participating centres are sent back and evaluated, in terms of the number of false positives and false negatives.

·        Participation in International Quality Assurance Programme conducted by WHO Collaborating Centre functioning at Australia, to maintain internationally accredited status as National Reference Center.

Evaluation of HIV test kits

Evaluation of HIV testing kits referred by Drugs Controller General of India , NACO and DSACS . 

4. Immunology Unit:

·         CD4/CD8 level (T-lymphocyte subsets) is ascertained  by computerized FACS Counts to access the stage and disease progression in HIV infected patients.

·         Participation in Quality Assessment and Standardization for immunological measures  conducted by Public Health Agency of Canada to maintain the accredited status.

5. AIDS Associated Opportunistic Infection Unit:

·         Laboratory diagnosis  of intestinal coccidian parasites in stools of patiens with HIV having diarrhea is done.

·         Sputum smear staining with Giemsa and fluorescent stain for pneumocystis carinii cysts and trophozoites is also done.

6. Sexually Transmitted Diseases Unit:

·        Routine serological diagnosis test for Syphilis.

7. Molecular Biology Unit:

This Unit was set up in 1999.  This provides diagnosis by employing molecular biology techniques.

The services provide includes:

·         Molecular diagnosis of suspected HIV infected cases by PCR.

·         Sequencing studies of HIV-strains circulating in India

·         Testing for discordant samples and diagnosis of HIV in infants.

8. Voluntary Confidential Counseling and Testing Centre:

The various categories of persons having different risk behaviours, who report to NICD for HIV testing are given pre-test, post test and continuum of counseling, as per individual case merit.

The experts at AIDS Division with qualified counselors provide counseling for direct walk-in-patients clients.  The VCCTC has linkages with  ART Centres, DOTs Centres, Self Help Group etc to help in clients as per need.

9. Central Blood Collection Centre:

The Blood Collection Centre is responsible is collecting  of samples for the various laboratories of this Institute. It is following the latest technology in Blood Collection with utmost biosafety precautions. It is also responsible for maintenance of records for samples sent to different labs and their follow up.

10. Storage and supply of HIV test kits

The Division maintains  cold room for storage of HIV test kits for distribution of test kits to different centres in Delhi.  This is an ongoing activity on behalf of Delhi State AIDS Control Organization.

Besides the above functional units, the division has the following important activities:

11. Training and Manpower Development

·        Training for medical and supportive personnel from all over India in the field of laboratory diagnosis of HIV infection and biosafety.

·        Regular visits by faculty members of AIDS Division to various states of India to conduct training workshops in the field of laboratory diagnosis of HIV infection and biosafety.

·        Training of midlevel supportive workers as well as faculty members in the field of quality control of HIV Serology and Laboratory biosafety..

·        Helping university students in their dissertation work  for Ph.D.

·        Formulation of guidelines for networking of National Quality Control Programme, holding meeting with the state AIDS programme Officers as well as microbiologists of institutions.

·        The Centre for AIDS & Related Diseases has been identified as one of the National Reference Centre by National AIDS Control Organisation, Government of India to carry out the External Quality Assurance Scheme for the following four states i.e. Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan and Delhi.

·        A guest lecture organized by this Centre  by Dr. Dora Warren, Country Director, US Embassy, New Delhi. The topic of lecture was “Interception between programme and Research in HIV/AIDS” at NICD, Delhi on 20^th November, 2006.

·        Trained 2 WHO fellows from Maldives at Centre for AIDS & Related Diseases from 27/11/06 to 29/11/06.

·        Trained three (3) WHO Fellows (Microbiologists) from DPR Korea at this Centre from 27/11/2006 to 01/12/2006.

·        Organised 3 days workshop on “External Quality Assessment Scheme”  for Laboratory technicians including Officer in charges of VCCTC and Blood Banks  on 13^th to 15^th December 2006. A total of 20 (07 Medical Officers and 13 Laboratory Technicians) participants from Delhi, Uttranchal, Haryana and Rajasthan participated in the above training programme.

·        Organised 3 days workshop on “External Quality Assessment Scheme ” for Laboratory technicians including Officer in charges of VCCTC and Blood Banks  on 23^rd to 25^th  January, 2007. A total of 24 (11 Medical Officers and 13 Laboratory Technicians) participants from Delhi, Uttranchal, Haryana and Rajasthan participated in the above training programme.

·        The Centre co-ordinated three weeks training workshop from 18^th June to 06^th July, 2007 on STI for 15 Epidemiologists.  The training was  organized by NACO at NICD.  Dy. Asstt. Director was the nodal person for co-ordinated and facilitating infrastructure support at NICD.

·        22 laboratory personnel from AFTC, Delhi Cantt, were trained by this Centre on Laboratory diagnostic procedure in HIV/AIDS during this period.

·        4 B.Sc/M.Sc (Microbiology/Biotechnology) students had completed their 6 months project work on HIV/AIDS from this Centre in the period February, 2007 to August, 2007.

·        12 B.Sc./M.Sc students  from different universities undergone their 1/2 months summer training on laboratory diagnostic techniques  on HIV/AIDS from this Centre from  May, 2007 to August, 2007.

12. Manuals/documents prepared under National AIDS Control Programme

·        A "HIV Testing Manual" entitled "Laboratory diagnosis biosafety and quality control", has been brought out by NICD and distributed to Laboratory-In-Charges of the HIV Testing Laboratories as well as to Physicians all over India. This is a National document available with National Aids Control Organization (NACO), Govt. of India (GOI).

·        A manual on "Laboratory Diagnosis of Common Opportunistic Infections Associated with HIV/AIDS" has been brought out with the objectives of early and accurate diagnosis of infections associated with HIV/AIDS for timely therapeutic intervention as well as introduction of chemoprophylaxis and distributed all over India through Project Directors, State AIDS Control Societies.

·        A manual for Practicing "Quality Assurance Programme in HIV Testing Laboratories" has been prepared for NACO, Min. of Health & Family Welfare (MH & FW), and GOI.

·        Manual for "Evaluating Status of Blood Safety in Blood Banks" has been distributed to Officer-In-Charges of the Blood banks all over India.

·        Manual on "Standard Operative Procedures" for "quality control of HIV testing in Blood Bank". Distributed to Officer-In-Charges of Blood Banks all over India.

13. Research Projects

·        Immunological & Virological Studies in HIV infection

·        Monitoring of antiretroviral drug resistance for protease gene in HIV infected patients.

PUBLICATIONS:

(Papers in journals, chapters contributed and books edited/written)

INTERNATIONAL JOURNALS

1.      Oropharyngeal carriage of Candida spp. in HIV-infected patients in India.  Gugnani HC, Becker W, Basu S, Chattopadhya D, Baveja UK, Satyanarayana S, Kalghate T and Murlidhar A, Mycoses 2003;46:299-306.

INDIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY

2.      A cross sectional serological study of the coinfection of HBV, HCV and HIV amongst a cohort of IDUs  at Delhi . UK Baveja, Rachna Khera, D Chattopadhya and PL Joshi. 2003; 21 (4) : 280-282.

INDIAN J. TUBERCULOSIS

3.      Tuberculosis in HIV/AIDS patients in a tertiary care hospital in Delhi.  SK Agarwal, Aman Makhija, NP Singh, A Prakash, UK Baveja 2003;50:163-165.

HIV/AIDS & RELATED DISEASES

4.      Study of prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neissera gonorrhoeae by multiplex-PCR among HIV positive intravenous drug users in Delhi and associated high-risk behaviours.  Baveja UK, Saini S, Dwivedi KK, Mahajan S and Lal Shiv. Abstract Ist National Conference of AIDS Society of India. April 2-4, 2005, New Delhi.

5.      Study of serological  prevelance  and immunological co-relation with Herpes, Syphilis, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C viruses in  HIV-1 infected patients.  Baveja UK, Dwivedi KK,  Saini S , Mahajan S and Lal Shiv. Abstract Ist National Conference of AIDS Society of India. April 2-4, 2005, New Delhi.

6.      Evaluation of  ultrasensitive p24 antigen (US p24) detection system.  Baveja UK, Verghese A and Lal Shiv. Abstract Ist National Conference of AIDS Society of India. April 2-4, 2005, New Delhi.

CHAPTERS CONTRIBUTED IN BOOKS & TECHNICAL PROCEEDINGS / MANUALS

7.      “Opportunity infections in HIV/AIDS”.  In : proceedings of VII National Conference of Hospital Infection Society.  CMC, Vellore January, 2003.

8.       “Non sexual transmission of HIV/AIDS”.  In : Medicine update 2004.  APICON.

9.      “AIDS : Progression from seroconversion to symptomatic clinical disease”.  In. Medicine update, 2004, APICON.

MANUALS (SCIENTIFIC) WRITTEN/EDITED/CONTRIBUTED

10. Guidelines for “Estimation of CD4/CD8 cell counts : Quality Control and External Quality Assessment” 2003.

BOOKS WRITTEN/EDITED

11. Diagnosis  and Management of HIV/AIDS: A Clinician’s Perspective”. Ed. Usha K. Baveja, B B Rewari.  BI Publications, Delhi 2004.