Plan to eliminate AIDS by 2030

Shimla, October 21

The government has launched a sustained campaign to make the state AIDS-free by 2030. To achieve the objective, the government’s landmark steps like ‘Test and Treat’ and ‘Mission Sampark’ have proved very successful.

Under the campaign, the first step is to identify HIV positive people and link them to Anti Retroviral Therapy. About three lakh HIV tests are being done every year in the state. To provide testing facilities to the residents at their door-steps, efforts are being made to provide testing facilities up to health sub-centre level.

The government has set up three Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) and three Facility Integrated Anti-Retroviral Therapy (FI-ART) centres in the state to provide ART to people living with HIV (PLHIV) and 4,646 PLHIV are being treated with the ART.

Prevention from Parent to Child Transmission (PPTCT) programme is being implemented for eliminating HIV infection in children. Besides, the government started a Financial Support Scheme of Rs 1,500 per month for the PLHIVs in 2019. In addition, nutritional support scheme is being implemented for children living with HIV since 2018. In 2019, the government made the provision of Rs 20 lakh annually for treatment and medicine for persons living with HIV and other diseases.

Besides, financial aid to orphans and children of AIDS victims up to 18 years of age is being provided. Also, the government has launched awareness campaigns on radio, TV, newspapers, hoardings and folk media for the prevention of AIDS. — TNS