Shillong, Dec 1: Social Welfare Minister, Paul Lyngdoh on Saturday appealed to all stakeholders to take the lead in the struggle to make Meghalaya drugs and HIV/AIDS free.
While speaking during the World AIDS Day celebration held at Polo Ground here on Friday, Lyngdoh also impressed upon the need to create a generation which will contribute immensely towards nation building.
He also commended the efforts of Meghalaya AIDS Control Society lunder the able leadership of the health department for the various initiatives in creating awareness on HIV/AIDS which is on the rise in the State.
A pressing challenge lies ahead for the state of Meghalaya as a total of 8384 persons living with HIV (PLHIV) are being registered in HIV care as on October 2023 with the most number of PLHIVs found in East Khasi Hills district.
As per statistics available with the Meghalaya AIDS Control Society (MACS), East Khasi Hills – 2611, Eastern West Khasi Hills – 210, South West Khasi Hills – 115, West Khasi Hills – 112, Ri Bhoi- 531, East Jaintia Hills -1976, West Jaintia Hills – 2441, North Garo Hills – 17, West Garo Hills – 111, South West Garo Hills – 19, South Garo Hills – 18, East Garo Hills – 23, others- 200.
The World AIDS Day celebration is followed by the Red Ribbon Superstar Meghalaya Icon and the theme for this year is “Let communities lead.”
World AIDS day is observed annually on December 1 where people across the globe extend their support to PLHIVs, bring an end to discrimination toward them and also to remember those who lost their lives to AIDS-related illness.
