Guwahati: Assam Health and Family Welfare Minister Ashok Singhal has flagged an increase in HIV cases linked to injection drug use, calling for wider testing, stronger prevention measures and greater youth participation in the state’s HIV programme.
Speaking at the Suraksha Sankalp Karyashala on Mobilization for AIDS Suraksha in Guwahati on October 14, Singhal said efforts were needed to identify people living with HIV who remained undiagnosed, particularly those engaging in high-risk behaviour, including unprotected sex and injection drug use.
He said the Assam State AIDS Control Society (ASACS) was working to detect HIV cases and link patients to treatment but urged people at risk to come forward for testing.
The minister also called for greater youth involvement in HIV prevention initiatives, citing their vulnerability to infection. He suggested involving the AYUSH department in the programme and highlighted yoga as a means of promoting mental well-being.
The workshop was organised by ASACS under the guidance of the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO).
ASACS Project Director Indranoshee Das, ACS, announced that Charaideo and Bajali districts had achieved Surakshit status, while 13 other districts had attained Saksham status under the Mobilization for AIDS Suraksha (MAS) initiative.
The 13 districts recognised as Saksham were Baksa, Biswanath, Cachar, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dima Hasao, Goalpara, Kamrup Metro, Karbi Anglong, Majuli, Sonitpur, Sribhumi and Udalguri. Singhal felicitated representatives of the districts that achieved the two statuses.
Das said the workshop would help assess progress, identify challenges and strengthen coordination to improve district-level implementation.
NACO Deputy Director Saiprasad Bhavsar said the MAS initiative aimed to strengthen district-level ownership of the HIV response. He expressed hope that every district in Assam would achieve the three 95 targets and attain Surakshit status by December 1, 2026.
Mahendra Pancholi, HIV programme lead at HLFPPT, said the organisation was supporting ASACS in improving district-level performance against national HIV targets and advancing the 95-95-95 goals.
The MAS initiative is being implemented across Assam to accelerate progress towards the targets by December 1, 2026, through district-level mobilisation, monitoring and coordination.
Under the framework, Surakshit Plus status is awarded to districts that achieve all three 95 targets and zero vertical transmission. Surakshit denotes achievement of all three targets, while Saksham applies to districts that achieve any two. SangharshsheeI covers districts that achieve one or none of the three targets.
The initiative also aims to eliminate new HIV infections, AIDS-related deaths and discrimination, alongside the triple elimination of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B.