(Photograph: @meghalayahealth/X)
Shillong, August 11 (IANS) Meghalaya is about to strengthen its battle in opposition to HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) with the launch of the Intensified IEC Marketing campaign 3.0, with a particular deal with younger individuals, early testing, remedy and lowering stigma surrounding the illness, officers mentioned on Tuesday.
The 2‑month statewide marketing campaign might be launched on Wednesday, alongside Worldwide Youth Day programmes at Girl Keane Faculty, with Well being and Household Welfare Minister Wailadmiki Shylla attending the occasion because the Chief Visitor.
The marketing campaign comes amid considerations over the persevering with HIV burden within the state and the social limitations that always discourage individuals from present process testing or looking for remedy. In keeping with knowledge compiled by the Meghalaya AIDS Management Society in November 2025, greater than 10,000 individuals, together with practically 500 kids, had been identified with HIV/AIDS within the state. A senior official said that East Jaintia Hills has emerged as a significant space of concern. Nationwide HIV estimates have additionally indicated that Meghalaya’s grownup HIV prevalence stays considerably above the nationwide common.
The marketing campaign will search to take consciousness actions past standard messaging by reaching communities via instructional establishments, villages and digital platforms. Its goal teams embrace adolescents and younger individuals, college students, pregnant girls, susceptible communities, healthcare staff, authorities officers, neighborhood representatives, media professionals and social‑media influencers.
Authorities plan to organise rallies, roadshows, village conferences, consciousness programmes in colleges and schools, screening and counselling camps and door‑to‑door outreach. Group radio, digital campaigns, people performances and flash mobs can even be used to make HIV and STI‑associated data extra accessible, significantly amongst younger individuals.
The marketing campaign will deal with points together with HIV transmission and prevention, safer sexual practices, STI prevention, early analysis and remedy, and misconceptions surrounding HIV. It can additionally spotlight the connection between substance use and HIV transmission.
A key element of the initiative might be efforts to deal with stigma and discrimination in opposition to individuals residing with HIV, which well being authorities say stay main obstacles to well timed testing and remedy. The marketing campaign will promote the Nationwide AIDS Helpline 1097 and the net HIV Threat Evaluation Software to assist individuals entry data and providers.
Meghalaya has beforehand adopted neighborhood‑primarily based approaches to HIV consciousness, significantly in Jaintia Hills, the place youth‑targeted campaigns have harassed testing, correct data and compassion in direction of individuals residing with HIV. Officers hope the newest statewide marketing campaign will encourage extra individuals to hunt testing early and entry remedy, whereas making a extra knowledgeable and supportive atmosphere for these affected by HIV.
