Assam State AIDS Control Society to observe World AIDS Day today

HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Nov 30: Assam State AIDS Control Society (ASACS) will be observing World AIDS Day throughout the state with a flurry of activities, along with the rest of the world on December 1.
The state-level event will be held at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) auditorium from 10 am onwards on Thursday. The chief guest of the event will be Keshab Mahanta, minister for Health and Family Welfare, Assam. Principal secretary to the government of Assam, Health and Family Welfare, Avinash Joshi, IAS will be the guest of honour. Along with other dignitaries, renowned singer Nahid Afrin will be a part of the event.
The state-level function will be preceded by a rally comprising of students from colleges and various institutions, NGOs and other stakeholders. The rally will be flagged off at GMCH auditorium complex by renowned sportsperson (swimmer) Elvis Ali Hazarika.
At the central function, Keshab Mahanta, minister for Health and Family Welfare, Assam will launch ten OPD-OST (Opioid Substitution Therapy) Dispensing Centres at ten district hospitals across Assam — TRB Civil Hospital, Kamrup; SMK Civil Hospital, Nalbari; Morigaon Civil Hospital; Dhemaji Civil Hospital; LGB Tinsukia Civil Hospital; Sivasagar Civil Hospital; Dhubri Civil Hospital; SK Roy Civil Hospital, Hailakandi; Karimganj Civil Hospital; Goalpara Civil Hospital. The minister will also release books on HIV and blood donation services.
Notably, World AIDS Day is being observed in all districts across Assam with rallies, public meetings and various other activities. In order to create HIV awareness amongst the masses, ASACS has undertaken various activities by disseminating HIV messages in mass media (print and electronic), outdoor media (hoardings, bus panelling, train panelling), folk media (natika, ojapali), social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), piggyback activities during raas and Durga Puja festivities, events and HIV awareness in colleges was held through Red Ribbon Clubs and in schools through Adolescence Education Programme.
It is pertinent to mention here that as per NACO HIV Estimation Report 2021, Assam has an estimate of 25,073 people living with HIV (PLHIV). Out of this total number, 45 percent of PLHIVs are female and children living with HIV is 3 percent. 10765 people are alive after taking anti-retroviral therapy (ART). The HIV prevalence rate in India is 0.21 and the HIV prevalence rate in Assam is 0.09 percent which is lower than the national and the national prevalence rate is 0.21 percent.
As far as the HIV prevalence in districts are concerned, Kamrup (M) has the maximum number of cases (7610), followed by Cachar district (5200), Nagaon district (1602) and Dibrugarh (1402).
Regarding route of transmission in Assam, 81.63 percent is through heterosexual, 5.54 percent is through HIV-infected syringe and needles, parent to child is 4.76 percent, 4.61 percent through homosexual, 0.85 percent through blood and blood products and 2.61 is not specified.