Imphal West and Pherzawl receive ‘Surakshit’ status; CM Yumnam Khemchand Singh urges other districts to replicate the achievement
KRC TIMES Manipur Bureau
Imphal | Manipur’s Imphal West and Pherzawl districts have achieved the ‘Surakshit’ status under the National AIDS Control Organisation’s (NACO) Mobilization for AIDS Suraksha (MAS) initiative, becoming the first districts in the state to meet the prescribed 95-95-95 HIV targets.
Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh felicitated representatives of the two districts on November 6 at a programme organised by the Manipur State AIDS Control Society (MACS) at the Cabinet Hall of the Chief Minister’s Office in Mantripukhri.
Congratulating the districts on the achievement, Khemchand Singh urged Health Department officials to work collectively towards securing the same recognition for the remaining districts of Manipur. Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare and MACS president Sumant Singh said the recognition marked a significant milestone, as it was the first time in the society’s history that districts in Manipur had attained ‘Surakshit’ status.
Explaining the criteria, he said the achievement was based on the 95-95-95 targets, which require 95 per cent of the estimated number of people living with HIV to know their status, 95 per cent of those diagnosed to receive antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 95 per cent of those undergoing treatment to achieve viral suppression.
Viral suppression indicates that HIV treatment has effectively controlled the virus, reducing its impact on the patient’s health and the risk of transmission. During the programme, the Chief Minister felicitated representatives of the Imphal West and Pherzawl district administrations, their respective Chief Medical Offices and the District Integrated Strategy of HIV teams for their contributions.
A presentation was also made highlighting the initiatives and efforts undertaken by the two districts to achieve the prescribed targets and qualify for ‘Surakshit’ status.
The programme was attended by Chief Secretary Rajeev Singh Thakur, MACS Project Director Anna Arambam and Imphal West Deputy Commissioner Mayanglambam Rajkumar Singh. Pherzawl Deputy Commissioner Anunay Anand joined the programme through video conferencing, along with other officials.
The achievement is expected to provide momentum to Manipur’s efforts to strengthen HIV testing, treatment coverage and viral suppression across all districts.
