Saitual District Achieves Historic 'Surakshit' HIV Status
Mizoram's Saitual becomes the first district to meet all HIV treatment and prevention targets under the NACO initiative.
Saitual is the first district in Mizoram to achieve 'Surakshit' status.
The district met the 95-95-95 targets for HIV treatment and prevention.
Community cooperation was crucial in promoting HIV awareness and testing.
Saitual, a district in Mizoram bordering Manipur, has made history by becoming the first in the state to achieve 'Surakshit' status under the National AIDS Control Organisation's (NACO) Mobilisation AIDS Suraksha (MAS) campaign. This milestone was reached after the district successfully met all three components of the 95-95-95 targets, which focus on HIV treatment and prevention.
The 95-95-95 targets, endorsed by UNAIDS, stipulate that 95% of individuals living with HIV should be aware of their status, 95% of those diagnosed should receive antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 95% of those undergoing treatment should achieve viral load suppression. These targets serve as a framework for assessing the effectiveness of HIV interventions at the district level.
Under the MAS campaign, districts are categorized based on their performance: Sangharshee for those not meeting any targets, Saksham for those meeting two, Surakshit for those achieving all three, and Surakshit+ for districts that also prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Launched in February, the MAS campaign aims to eliminate the transmission of HIV across India, with regular progress reviews conducted by deputy commissioners.
According to a report from August, Saitual's achievement of Surakshit status marks a significant accomplishment for the district and Mizoram as a whole. Dr. Zothanpari Chhakchhuak, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, attributed this success to the collaborative efforts of Saitual's Deputy Commissioner Srinivas Sadi, community leaders, NGOs, and churches, all of whom played a vital role in raising awareness and promoting HIV testing.
Looking ahead, Dr. Chhakchhuak emphasized the importance of ongoing large-scale testing to ensure that residents remain informed about their HIV status. She also urged individuals living with HIV to adhere to their ART regimens consistently to maintain the district's progress and further reduce transmission rates.
