Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha has set an ambitious target of eliminating HIV cases in the state by 2030.
During a state-level review meeting on Saturday, the Chief Minister instructed top officials to devise effective strategies to bring the state’s total HIV caseload down to zero.
The meeting was attended by officials from the police, civil administration, education department, Tripura State AIDS Control Society, and the health and family welfare department. Among the attendees were the DGP of Tripura Police, secretaries of the concerned departments, and district magistrates of all eight districts.
According to a senior official privy to the discussions, the Chief Minister directed all departments to work in close coordination. “He emphasized the need for a well-calibrated plan to achieve the targets. The first step, he instructed, is to launch an intensive awareness campaign that will cover schools, other educational institutions, and public places. He also stated that every two months, he will personally review the progress of the new roadmap,” the official told EastMojo.
The Chief Minister also emphasized the need to increase HIV screening efforts.
“The Chief Minister believes that targeted populations should be screened, and once detected as infected, they should immediately be brought under treatment. He pointed out that Sikkim has the lowest number of HIV cases and suggested that Tripura use it as a case study,” another source added.
Meanwhile, sharing photos of the meeting on social media, Dr. Saha wrote: “Chaired a review meeting of the Tripura State AIDS Control Society at the Secretariat, discussing progress, challenges, and future strategies to combat HIV/AIDS in the State. Committed to ensuring quality healthcare and support services to all and achieving the target of ending HIV/AIDS by 2030.”
In July, the Chief Minister shared data showing that since 2007-08, a total of 828 students have been found HIV-positive, with 47 students losing their lives.
The spread of HIV among students has been linked to increasing drug abuse and needle sharing.
The data shows a sharp rise in student HIV cases since 2018-19 compared to previous years.
In 2018-19, 23 students were found HIV-positive, with three deaths. In 2019-20, the number rose to 74 positive cases and 11 deaths. In 2020-21, 82 students were found HIV-positive, and five died. In 2021-22, the number of positive cases among students almost doubled, reaching 162, with seven deaths. In 2022-2023, 227 fresh cases were reported among students, and seven deaths occurred. In 2023-2024, 154 students tested positive, with two deaths. This year, 17 students have tested positive so far, with no deaths reported.
Over the last six years, 35 students have lost their lives due to HIV, and the total number of infected students stands at 739.
As of May 2024, the total number of HIV cases in Tripura has surpassed 8,000, with 5,674 people currently living with HIV.
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