Nagaland State AIDS Control Society is set to launch a two-month-long IEC campaign about HIV and sexually transmitted infections
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KOHIMA — With a view to greater outreach in the state, the Nagaland State AIDS Control Society (NSACS) is set to launch a two-month-long Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaign about HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) under the aegis of the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) on August 12.
This announcement was made during a press conference at the NSACS Conference Hall, Directorate of Health and Family Welfare in Kohima, led by Dr. Ahu Sekhose, Project Director of NSACS, and other officials.
The launch will coincide with International Youth Day celebrations across the country, and in Nagaland, the official launch will take place at the NBCC Convention Centre in Kohima, starting at 11 am.
Dr. Sekhose disclosed that Nagaland's first HIV case was detected in 1991 among injecting drug users (IDUs), with a prevalence rate of 39% in 1994.
Although the rate has decreased to 2.53% among IDUs, the primary mode of transmission in the state is now through sexual routes, with unsafe sex accounting for approximately 87% of cases. Injecting drug use accounts for around 8.6% of transmissions.
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He maintained that Nagaland differs from other Northeast states, with a relatively stable trend in HIV transmission. He also pointed out that the state's prevalence rate has decreased slightly from 1.39% in 2020 to 1.37% at present.
The PD stated that a formal study revealed that over 90% of the state's population has some knowledge about HIV transmission routes at some point in time.
However, this 90-plus percentage has not been translated into safe behaviours, he added.
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Highlighting that Nagaland stands at number two behind Mizoram in terms of prevalence rate, Sekhose emphasised the importance of awareness activities.
Pointing out the formal launching of the IEC campaign, he said there will be various kinds of activities that will subsequently be carried out in other districts.
Reiterating various activities carried out last year, he said the NSACS team intends to reach out to all nooks and corners, and stated that this year they have targeted altogether 520 villages, 376 schools, 110 colleges, and others.
He explained that in the IEC campaigns, there will be various awareness activities besides some special activities in the form of flash mobs and folk performances.
He also informed that they have a target of about 5,200 door-to-door campaigns and household visits.
For the official launching event, about 3,000 students are expected to take part, while the rest of the campaigns will be carried out over a two-month period.
Dr. Zaiwang Zeliang, Joint Director (CST) of NSACS, informed that parent-to-child transmission accounts for 5% of cases, particularly when the parents are not on treatment, as effective treatment can prevent transmission to the child.
She also informed that there are 13 ART centres in the state and based on the population of PLHIV, the linked ART centres and other health centres are being utilised to dispense medicines and treat patients.
Metevinuo Sakhrie, Joint Director, IEC, NSACS, highlighted that there are SDG goals to end AIDS by 2030, and one of the top indicators is to have no new infections by 2030. To achieve that, she stated, a lot of intensified campaigns are being targeted.
She expressed satisfaction that stigma and discrimination have decreased to some extent, thanks to the campaigns carried out by NSACS over the years, including those at festivals and other platforms.
Furthermore, Sakhrie informed that there are mobile vans in 12 districts that carry out outreach activities throughout the year, along with test facilities, while the number of people coming forward for testing is also increasing.