By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 19: The State Cabinet on Friday approved a proposal for a 5-year Mission Mode HIV/AIDS Project in Meghalaya in line with DREAM Project with an allocation of Rs 25 crore.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said the government recognised that the current mission-mode interventions of the DREAM project, which focuses on drugs, needs to also be implemented to tackle the alarming rise in HIV/AIDS in Meghalaya.
“In response, we have developed a dedicated five-year mission mode programme. This programme has been approved by the Cabinet today and comes with an estimated budgetary allocation of Rs 25 crore, approximately Rs 5 crore per year,” he said.
Under this mission-mode programme, resources will be utilised for infrastructure development, awareness campaigns, and various targeted activities to effectively address the challenges posed by HIV/AIDS.
The state’s adult HIV prevalence is 0.43% which far exceeds the national average of 0.2%, with roughly 9,589 people living with HIV.
“As of 2024, new infections remain high at approximately 982 cases annually,” he said.
