'No stigma in getting tested': Tripura Health Secy exudes confidence in achieving AIDS-free status by 2030

Agartala (Tripura) [India], December 1 (ANI): On World AIDS Day, Tripura Health and Family Welfare Secretary Kiran Kumar Gitte on Sunday expressed confidence that Tripura will achieve the target of being an AIDS-free state by 2030.
He also urged people to get tested for HIV and stressed that there is no stigma involved.
Speaking to ANI, Tripura Health and Family Welfare Secretary Gitte said, "The Tripura Health Department has decided that to reduce the HIV prevalence, the no of premature tests would be doubled... I request people to come and get the test done if they feel they need to be tested. There is no stigma in it... I believe that Tripura will achieve the target of being AIDS-free by 2030."
Meanwhile, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, participated in an observance event held at the Pragna Bhawan Auditorium in Agartala.
The program, dedicated to raising awareness about HIV/AIDS, emphasized the importance of prevention, care, and education in combating the disease.
Addressing the gathering, Saha underscored the need for a collective effort to eliminate the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS and to promote awareness about its prevention. He highlighted the significance of the day in reminding people of the global fight against this dangerous disease and the need to support those living with it.
In Madhya Pradesh, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda inaugurated the World AIDS Day 2024 commemoration in the presence of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav at the Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya Auditorium, in Indore, as per a Ministry of Health and Family Welfare release.
This year's theme, "Take the Rights Path", emphasizes the importance of ensuring equal rights, dignity, and access to healthcare for all, particularly for those living with or affected by HIV/AIDS.
JP Nadda reflected on the Government of India's ongoing commitment to safeguarding the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS, emphasizing legal protections, healthcare access, and societal change.
He said, "World AIDS Day is a moment to reiterate that we are all together in the fight against AIDS as well as to remember and re-dedicate the efforts of those people who have fought against this disease and lost their loved ones as well."
The Union Minister highlighted the government's unwavering approach to tackling HIV/AIDS, citing the ongoing Phase V of the National AIDS and STD Control Program. He underlined the sustained efforts by NACO and State AIDS Control Societies which ensured low HIV epidemic level in India over the years with new infections in the country in 2023 almost 44% lower than in 2010 while AIDS related deaths declined by 79%. (ANI)