Mizoram health minister Lal Thanzara on Tuesday appeals to Mizoram Synod church leaders to help the government in its crusade against AIDS.
At a joint meeting held on Tuesday which was attended by the top leaders of Mizoram Synod and Mizoram State Aids Control Society officials, Lal Thanzara thanked the churches of Mizoram for their roles in spreading HIV/AIDS awareness campaign.
“I personally want to thank the Mizoram Presbyterian Church and the Baptist Church of Mizoram for helping us in fighting HIV Aids, the Presbyterian church has allowed a booklet on HIV/AIDS harm reduction to be distributed at its highest church congregation, and the Baptist Church of Mizoram too, have been giving us practical support,” Lal Thanzara said.
The largest church of Mizoram, the Presbyterian Church has recently okayed the agenda on HIV /Aids at its highest assembly and decided to take HIV/Aids issue on the church front.
“It is sad and unfortunate to learn that Mizoram has topped the Nation in the number of HIV /Aids, it is high time that all NGOs, the government and the churches take the matter on a serious note and fight Aids in our respective fronts,” Lal Thanzara said.
According to Rev. B Sangthanga, a member of Mizoram Presbyterian church’s social front AIDS awareness drama, cartoon drawing, seminars are organised by the church in its awareness programme.
National Aids Control Organisation’s (NACO) HIV Sentinel Surveillance 2017 revealed that 20% injecting drug users (IDUs) in Mizoram have HIV, compared to a nationwide prevalence of 6.26% among drug-users.
Six states in the northeast region account for 43.5% of IDUs who tested positive for HIV in India. The states in the region with higher than usual national prevalence among IDUs are Mizoram (19.81%), Manipur (7.66%), and Tripura (8.55%).