Shillong, Dec 19: The state government has formed a mission‑mode programme worth Rs 25 crore to address HIV-AIDS issue in the state.
The state cabinet accepted a proposal in this regard on Friday.
The state’s adult HIV prevalence is 0.43% exceeding the national average of 0.21%,” the chief minister said.
As of 2024, he said roughly 9,589 people are living with HIV and new infections remain high, approximately 982 cases annually.
“The way we have formulated the DREAM project… we realize that with the alarming rates and the increase of HIV/AIDS in our state, we need to come up with a mission‑mode program…for reducing the entire alarming growth of HIV/AIDS in our society,” Sangma told reporters.
“It is a five‑year mission‑mode program that has been approved by the cabinet today, with a rough estimate and budget allocation of Rs 25 crore. That is about Rs 5 crore per year, which will be used for infrastructure, awareness, campaigns, and different activities conducted through this mission program.”
Sangma highlighted that the government’s decision was based on the severity of the situation.
“The growth rate was the aspect we felt that was quite alarming as Meghalaya’s HIV epidemic has intensified in recent years.
