HT Correspondent
DIMAPUR, May 6: Nagaland’s adult HIV positivity rate stands at 1.61%, the second highest in the country, as against the national average of 0.22%.
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Y Kikheto Sema, commissioner and secretary, Nagaland health and family welfare department, said this while flagging off six mobile integrated counselling and testing centre (MICTC) vehicles for the districts of Kiphire, Phek, Peren, Dimapur, Mokokchung and Zunheboto at the health and family welfare department directorate in Kohima on Saturday.
Sema said understanding that Nagaland is one of the HIV and AIDS epidemics states, the government of India has considered replacing all old vehicles.
“These new vehicles come with more responsibility to deliver. So the officials of the Nagaland State AIDS Control Society should try to cover every length and breadth of the districts,” he said.
Sema urged the officers of the department to work together with NGOs in synergy and scale up all efforts to test, treat and educate the masses about the disease as well as other diseases which are envisaged to be eliminated by 2030 along the line of sustainable development goals.
He added that four districts of Mon, Longleng, Tuensang, and Noklak had already received new mobile MICTC vehicles on February 16 while the remaining Wokha and Kohima districts will receive them within a short period.
He thanked the National AIDS Control Organisation for recognising the challenges and the need of the Nagaland health care services, specially pertaining to difficult terrains and hard-to-reach areas, by taking a herculean step in replacing 10 old existing MICTC vehicles with new ones and also with two additional vehicles within a short span of time.
