MACS all set to observe World AIDS Day
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, November 29 2012: As done every year, Manipur AIDS State Control Society (MACS) is all set to observe the World AIDS Day, 2012 at MFDC Auditorium with Governor Gurvachan Jagat and Chief Minister O Ibobi as Chief Guest and President respectively on December 1 .

Addressing media persons in this connection at the MACS conference hall, R&D Wing Lamphelpat here today, Project Director (PD) of MACS Dr SK Chourasia said that this year's World AIDS Day is to be observed under the theme "Getting to Zero" which means Zero Infection, Zero Discrimination and Zero Death.

While calling upon the media persons of the state to help in working towards "Getting to Zero", Dr SK Chaurasia observed that HIV and AIDS has been a prime concern for Manipur as all the nine districts of the State come under high prevalence category.

To counter the menace, MACS has been taking up various intervention and monitoring programmes and has been quite successful in controlling the menace so far.

Claiming that spread of HIV&AIDS in the state both among the general population and high risk groups has reduced, DR SK Chourasia informed that in 2003, the rate of HIV&AIDS infection among the general population and pregnant women was 1.3%.The rate was reduced to 0.5% in 2008 and during the last six months, i.e from April to September, 2012, the rate has been further reduced to .368%.This clearly shows that spread of HIV&AIDS is coming down.

Highlighting the aims of NACP III, he said that priority basis is given to reduce new infection in high risk groups and general population.

It also aims to increase the proportion of people living with HIV&AIDS who receive care, support and treatment.

With these objectives in mind MACS has taken up intervention programme in the form of IEC, Targeted Intervention programmes being implemented through 56 different NGOs.

It has also taken up Care Support and Treatment (CST) programmes by setting up 12 ART centres, 11 linked ART Centres and 10 Community Care Centres.

He also pointed out that apart from taking up all these initiatives, Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Second Line ART at RIMS, Pediatric Centre of Excellence at JNIMS exclusively for children are running under the support of NACO through MACS. Furthermore, Dr Chaourasia informed that till Sepetmber this year, 8731 PLHIVs are on ART.

Among them 4550 are males, 3591 are females and 590 children (309 males and 281 females) .

Deputy Directors, MACS Abhiram Mongjam; Dr LR Kom; Dr N Shyamjai; Dr Tomcha; Dr Rk Rosy; Dr Meena Seram and Dr Gopal were also present during the press conference.

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