Chandigarh: Haryana has intensified its campaign against HIV/AIDS, screening over 12.4 lakh individuals in the current financial year and strengthening treatment facilities to ensure statewide access, additional chief secretary, health and family welfare department, Sumita Misra said on Wednesday.Between April 2025 and Jan 2026, a total of 12,40,205 people were tested for HIV, of whom 5,877 were diagnosed as HIV positive. At present, the state is running 104 Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres, including a mobile unit in Faridabad, all offering free and confidential services. Dr Misra said the govt’s priority is to make testing and care accessible without stigma for every section of society.Highlighting one of the significant achievements this year in maternal health, she stated that as many as 5,65,830 pregnant women were screened for HIV, of whom 613 tested positive and were provided timely treatment, helping in the Elimination of Vertical Transmission of HIV/AIDS.On the treatment front, Haryana has expanded Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) services through 24 ART centres across key districts, including Rohtak, Gurugram, Faridabad, Karnal, Hisar, Ambala and Mewat. Of these, 13 centres have been newly set up in medical colleges, improving access to advanced care for patients who would otherwise have had to travel long distances.Additionally, five Facility Integrated ART Centres and four Link ART Centres are operational. In total, 40,851 patients across the state are currently receiving life-saving treatment.To ease the financial burden on People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIVs) and improve treatment adherence, the state govt launched a monthly financial assistance scheme in Dec 2021, providing Rs 2,250 per month to eligible PLHIVs. A total of Rs 54.3 crore has been disbursed under this scheme so far. Registered patients also receive free follow-up care and access to advanced diagnostic procedures, including ultrasound, MRI and CT scans, through a public-private partnership arrangement.Beyond HIV, Haryana is also addressing sexually transmitted infections through 31 designated clinics, offering free counselling, syphilis testing, and treatment. A parallel network of 42 targeted intervention projects, run through Red Cross Societies and NGOs, is working with high-risk groups, including female sex workers, men who have sex with men, intravenous drug users, truckers and migrant labourers. These projects offer regular health check-ups, six monthly HIV testing and distribution of contraceptives. For those dependent on opioids, 12 Opioid Substitution Therapy centres and three satellite units are operational, with 9,014 patients registered and 4,569 receiving treatment regularly. MSID:: 128560818 413 |
‘Haryana screens 12.4 lakh for HIV, 5,877 test positive in FY25–26’ | Chandigarh News
