SHILLONG: The Meghalaya AIDS Control Society (MACS) is set to launch an intensified two-month HIV awareness campaign across the state, beginning Wednesday, with a focus on HIV testing, treatment, prevention, and reducing stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV.
Health Minister Wailadmiki Shylla will formally inaugurate the campaign at Lady Keane College, Shillong. The initiative will cover all 12 districts of Meghalaya, with special attention to communities, pregnant women, and young people.
Awareness activities will be held in both urban and rural areas, reaching 126 villages, and will include approximately 3,000 school awareness sessions, 85 college programmes, and 15,000 door-to-door campaigns.
The campaign will also feature 30 public performances, 30 flash mobs, and 16 special help camps at district hospitals, providing information and support related to HIV.
MACS will leverage social media, digital platforms, community outreach, and QR-based information resources to ensure accurate information reaches people at the grassroots level.
MACS Project Director Dr. K.L. Iawbor stated that the campaign will focus on disseminating correct information on HIV transmission and prevention, promoting early testing and treatment, and addressing the stigma and discrimination faced by people living with HIV.
The campaign is being launched amid the continued detection of new HIV cases in Meghalaya. Between April and June, 558 HIV-positive cases were detected among the general population, while 16 pregnant women also tested positive. Injecting drug use accounted for about 9% of transmissions, commercial sex for 4%, and mother-to-child transmission for 2.5%. No transmissions through blood products were reported during the period.
Running until October 12, the campaign will see MACS coordinating with government departments, educational institutions, community organisations, and other stakeholders to ensure HIV awareness and services reach even the most remote communities in Meghalaya.
(4FrontMedia news)
