Dimapur —As per NACO HSS Plus report 2021, Nagaland with 1.61% prevalence of HIV infection in the ante-natal care (ANC) against the national average of 0.22% ranked highest in the country, while the adult prevalence rate among 15-49 years of age at 1.36% against the national average of 0.21 was the second highest in the country.
This was disclosed by the commissioner and secretary of Health department, Y Kikheto Sema, during the 2nd Nagaland Harm Reduction Conference held at Hotel Vivor in Kohima on Tuesday on the theme “Making a difference.” The conference was jointly organised by Kripa Foundation, CDC, PATH, NSACS, NUN, NNagaDAO and CAD Foundation, a DIPR report stated.
Speaking on the occasion, Sema stated that only 16% of the youth (15-24 years) have comprehensive knowledge of HIV/AIDS, while 45% of youth do not know source of condom and 37% of sexually active youth are engaged in high-risk sexual behavior (NFHS-IV).
Sema has termed the conference ‘important’ as through such event all the stakeholders could share their experiences, highlight the success, challenges, and strengthen the policies and programmes of public health and social security. Besides, such event could ensure evidence-based response to drug and HIV /AIDS and plan out efforts for prevention of disease as well as to take care of the affected people.
While referring to the data of December 2022, he stated that about 21% of the HIV positive cases are those below the age of 24, while the major route of HIV transmission was through the sexual (87%) and injecting (6.7%) route. He added that the HIV sentinel surveillance of 2021 showed a worrying trend of increase in HIV prevalence amongst the IDU (from 1.3% to 2. 24%).
While appreciating all the NGOs and field team, who are tirelessly working to reach out to the hidden population and deliver services on time, he stated that with the active support of NSACS, NACO, development partners and all stakeholders, the state was able to bring down the HIV prevalence amongst IDU from 39% prevalence in 1991 to 2.4% prevalence by 2021. In this regard, he called upon all the concerned to keep on working so that new infections and further transmission of HIV could be stopped completely in the state.
Kikheto further assured that the Health and Family Welfare department and the state government would work closely with all the development partners, stakeholders, NGOs for prevention of drugs, HIV and AIDS and take care of affected people.
Dr. Melissa Nyendak, director of Division of Global HIV & TB, CDC India, US government, was the special guest of the conference.