Tripura records 5,287 active HIV/AIDS cases till Nov of current FY

Agartala, Jan 09: The Tripura government on Tuesday said that the number of HIV positive and AIDS cases is increasing in the state. Tripura has recorded 5287 active cases of HIV/AIDS till November 30 of FY 2023-24.
In written reply to a question raised by the Leader of Opposition Animesh Debbarma, the minister (In-charge) of the state Health and Family Welfare department informed the Assembly that out of the total 5287 active cases, 1023 are women, 4262 are men and the rest 2 are third gender.
The statement also said that the government under the direction of the Union Ministry has taken a series of measures to control HIV and AIDS.
Describing the measures, the minister in his written reply mentioned that the government established Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres (ICTC) in 24 Hospitals, Facility Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres (FICTC) in 133 Hospitals, 3 PPP Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres (PPP-ICTC) and presently one mobile integrated counselling and testing centre van is functioning in the state.
Apart from this, the government launched one Prevention of Parent to Child Transmission (PPTCT) Centre at Agartala Government Medical College (AGMC) and GBP Hospital. Presently, 15 TI agencies, 2 Link Worker Scheme and 4 One Stop centres are functioning under the Tripura State AIDS Control Society by involving 5,928 female sex workers, 853 homosexuals, 6,473 migrant workers, 3,450 truck drivers, 96 transgenders and 8,073 intravenous drug users.
The minister further informed as on October 2023 at least 2545 among the injectable drug users across the state were infected with HIV. The Tripura State AIDS Control Society has incorporated OPIOD Substitution Therapy Services to bring a total of 5,267 intravenous drug users back to normal life in the state and among them 430 have been cured by treatment.
Under the supervision of Union Health Ministry and Tripura State AIDS Control Society, the OPIOD Substitution Therapy Centres has been set up in Bhangmun Hospital at Jampui Hill, Kumarghat Hospital, Kailasahar District Hospital, Dhalai District Hospital, Jirania CHC, Abhaynagar Urban PHC and Dhamcherra PHC.
In addition to this, services of 16 Satellite OPIOD Substitution Therapy Centers and Anti-Retroviral Therapy Plus Center are presently operational in various hospitals across the state including AGMC for the drug users.
It was stated that presently, the government is providing a monthly allowance of Rs. 2000 to each of the 2031 HIV/AIDS patients, while free HIV diagnostic tests are conducted in remote areas of the state through mobile integrated counselling and testing centre vans.