SHILLONG: Intravenous drug use is more prevalent in the North East raising chances of HIV-AIDS infections, said a senior NACO official on Wednesday.
Naresh Goel, Deputy Director General (IEC & LS), National AIDS Control Society (NACO), pointed out that the number of drug injection users is increasing in the region.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the ‘North East Review Meeting of NACO’ held at State Convention Centre on Wednesday, Goel said the problem is stark in states like Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and some areas of Tripura.
However, he put sexual relations as the main reason for HIV-AIDS transmission.
Stating that NACO has made progressive efforts in tackling HIV-AIDS infection in the country, Goel told reporters, “Earlier it was about 0.4 per cent in adult population that has come down to 0.26 per cent.”
On the changing trend of HIV-AIDS in the North East, he said, “In Nagaland and Manipur, the disease is under control but some new areas in Mizoram and Tripura are emerging which look like drugs are coming through the India-Myanmar border giving people easy access to them.”
Globally, India shares the third largest burden of the disease with an estimated number of 21 lakh patients but has low prevalence, the NACO official said.
Meanwhile, Bitra George, country director of Family Health International360 (FHI360), stated that the authorities are taking stock of the HIV and AIDS response in all the eight states of the North East.
Referring to a new data conducted by the central surveillance studies which show startling facts about the northeastern states, George said, “There is still a big epidemic happening. There are epidemics happening in Tripura and Meghalaya which need to be tackled.”
Project Sunrise
Highlighting Project Sunrise implemented by FHI360 and funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US, he said FHI360 is in the third year of the project and it is working closely with the State AIDS Control Societies (SACS) in tackling HIV-AIDS.
“What we have helped to do is increase the number of innovations, capacity building, community-based HIV testing, prison intervention in five prisons across the North East states,” George said.
Project Sunrise aims to diagnose 90 percent of such drug addicts with HIV and put them under treatment by 2020.
“There is also sensitisation of key stakeholders in the northeastern states. Like in Mizoram and Nagaland, it is the church groups and young women’s associations as well as youth groups,” he added.
FHI360 is planning to strengthen efforts both among the key populations which are the injecting drug users and other key population groups.
Pointing out that getting HIV positive people to be linked to Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) treatment is important, George said, “Treatment is also prevention so we want to get as many of those who are HIV positive on treatment. That is our focus for the next one year.”
FHI360 and SACS are also addressing cases of stigmatisation and discrimination. “We are looking at positive role models of those who are HIV positive and who can speak for the community and tell that (HIV) positive people can also be useful members of the society,” George asserted.
At the same time, he also stressed on the role of parliamentarians and politicians in improving the situation. “It needs to be seen as an important issue and needs state funding beyond the support provided by the centre and donors.”
On the same day, a book on Epidemiological Factsheet, volume 1 on the North Eastern States compiled by programme officer NACO Pradeep Kumar and an Assessment of Blood Banks in the eight States was released by Additional Secretary and Director General of NACO, Sanjeeva Kumar.
