In Punjab, a high-level workshop was held in Zirakpur today by the National AIDS Control Organisation under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, aimed at reducing HIV prevalence in the state.
The meeting was chaired by Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Director General of NACO, Dr. Rakesh Gupta. He said Punjab is a priority state under the focused strategy, with an HIV prevalence rate of 0.42 percent. This translates to an estimated 1.1 lakh people living with HIV in the state. He added that 21 out of 23 districts, including all border districts, have been identified for intensified action.
Dr. Gupta said, in states like Punjab, where injecting drug use plays a major role in HIV transmission, there is an urgent need for a coordinated and accelerated response to reverse the trend.
Highlighting the state’s commitment, Punjab’s Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Kumar Rahul said the government will strengthen its response through targeted and evidence-based interventions to tackle HIV.
