SHILLONG, July 5: Around 500 infants in Meghalaya are living with HIV, prompting the Meghalaya AIDS Control Society (MACS) to step up support through healthcare, advocacy and social welfare measures.
Joint DHS and MACS Project Director Dr K.L. Iawbor said all HIV-positive infants are receiving free treatment and medication. A new Children with HIV Support Project, to be implemented by the Meghalaya State Network of Positive People on a pilot basis in East Khasi Hills, is under consideration with grant-in-aid from the Social Welfare Department.
MACS has also urged the Education Department to assist children from economically weaker HIV-affected families to reduce school dropouts, especially among those who have lost parents to the disease. Dr Iawbor noted instances where children were denied school admission due to misconceptions about HIV transmission.
She clarified that HIV does not spread through casual contact such as sitting, studying or eating together, and said MACS is conducting awareness programmes to fight stigma.
Meghalaya currently ranks eighth in the country in HIV prevalence at 0.40 per cent, against the national average of 0.20 per cent. As of June 1 this year, cumulative data showed 11,570 people have been infected in the state, with an estimated 9,664 currently living with HIV.
However, around 23 per cent (2,215 individuals) are either refusing or not adhering to treatment due to lack of awareness, poverty, difficult access to facilities, social stigma and preference for traditional remedies.
Dr Iawbor stressed that consistent antiretroviral therapy enables people to lead healthy lives and makes the virus untransmittable under the “Undetectable Equals Untransmittable (U=U)” principle. She highlighted the importance of treatment for pregnant women living with HIV to prevent transmission to their babies.
The District Child Protection Unit provides eligible children living with HIV a monthly assistance of Rs 4,000 to support their basic needs and education.
Dr Iawbor said sustained awareness, community support and treatment adherence remain key to controlling HIV/AIDS in the state.
