Commissioner & Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Y. Kikheto Sema, flagged off six Mobile Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre Vehicles for Kiphire, Phek, Peren, Dimapur, Mokokchung and Zunheboto districts at the Directorate of   Health & Family Welfare, Kohima on 6th May 2023.

Speaking on the occasion, Sema stated that on the 16th February 2023, four districts, namely Mon, Longleng, Tuensang, and Noklak, have received new Mobile ICTC Vehicles. The remaining Wokha and Kohima districts would be receiving within a short period.

He thanked the National AIDS Control Organization for recognizing the challenges and the need of Nagaland state health service, specially pertaining to difficult terrains and hard to reach areas by taking a herculean step in replacing 10 old existing MICTC vehicles with new ones and also with two additional vehicles within a short span of time.

Sema stated that Nagaland is one of the HIV and AIDS epidemics state, and visualizing the needs, the GoI has considered replacing all new vehicles. These new vehicles come with more responsibility to deliver and so the officials of NCACS shall try to cover every length and breadth of the districts, he said.

Nagaland’s Adult HIV positivity stands at 1.61% which is the second highest in the country as against the national average of 0.22%. He urged the officers of the department to work together with NGOs in synergy and scale up all efforts to Test, Treat and Educate the masses about this disease as well as other diseases which are envisaged to eliminate by 2030 along the line of SDG Goal.

Projector Director NSACS, Akuo Sorhrie gave the keynote address while Deputy Director, Asenla chaired the programme.  

(Thungti, IA)