JAMMU: Secretary Health and Medical Education, Bhupinder Kumar, today reviewed the implementation of the National AIDS Control Programme by the J&K AIDS Control Society (JKACS) in the region.
Project Director, J&K AIDS Control Society, informed that the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), MOH&FW, Government of India, has mandated JKACS for implementation of the National AIDS control programme in J&K. He gave a detailed presentation on various aspects of working of JKACS besides holding a discussion on annual action Plans and measures for containment of AIDS in the Union Territory.
It was apprised that J&K AIDS Control Society has recently conducted PMPSE (Programmatic Mapping and Population Size Estimation) in the UT for identifying and mapping the High-Risk Group (FSW, MSM, TG, and IDU) population.
Secretary appreciated J&K AIDS Control Society for securing 3rd Position at the national level, in the research component for identifying new hotspots of the high-risk group populations. He emphasized that although the adult HIV prevalence in the UT of J&K is very low, efforts should be continued for proper awareness besides screening and testing of the population especially among the High-Risk Group. Further, it must be ensured that all HIV patients are brought under treatment through Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART), he added.
Bhupinder stressed upon the need for exploring the possibilities of providing free rations to HIV patients for which J&K AIDS Control Society was asked to moot a proposal for taking up the matter with the appropriate forum.
Among other officers of the Health & Medical Education Department, the meeting was attended by Director Finance, Additional Secretary, Health, and Joint Director Planning.
