Suraksha Sankalp Karyashala on HIV Response

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, through the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), convened the Suraksha Sankalp Karyashala in Delhi to strengthen district-level HIV/AIDS response, with focused participation from Haryana and Delhi. The workshop brought into light the need for data-driven planning, better treatment linkage, and stronger service delivery to improve HIV prevention and care outcomes.

District-Focused HIV Strategy

The workshop brought together national, State, and district stakeholders to review progress in priority districts. It aimed to build targeted action plans based on local epidemiology and operational gaps. The approach reflects a shift towards granular planning rather than a uniform national response.

Key HIV Indicators in Delhi and Haryana

Delhi and Haryana were identified as important focus areas under the intensified HIV programme.

• Delhi has an adult HIV prevalence of 0.33 per cent and an estimated 59,079 people living with HIV.
• Haryana has an adult HIV prevalence of 0.24 per cent and an estimated 59,642 people living with HIV.
• Delhi’s treatment linkage remains around 70 per cent among identified individuals.
• Haryana’s cascade stands at approximately 81:83:95, showing better progress in viral suppression.

Priority Districts and Service Gaps

A total of 219 districts have been identified nationally for intensified HIV interventions. Of these, seven are in Delhi and 11 are in Haryana. Delhi’s priority districts include North, New Delhi, Shahdara, Central, South East, South and North West. Haryana’s priority districts include Panipat, Rohtak, Sirsa, Jhajjar, Gurugram, Faridabad, Bhiwani, Hisar, Sonipat, Kaithal and Fatehabad. The workshop stressed early diagnosis, prompt ART initiation, adherence support, and retention in care.

Targets, Prevention and Future Roadmap

The deliberations underlined the global 95:95:95 targets for HIV control. These require diagnosis of 95 per cent of people living with HIV, treatment for 95 per cent of those diagnosed, and viral suppression for 95 per cent of those on treatment. The workshop also stressed prevention of mother-to-child transmission through antenatal testing and timely treatment. India has set a time-bound goal of moving towards controlling HIV/AIDS as an epidemic by World AIDS Day 2027, while aligning with the broader objective of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.