 Early Times Report
CHANDIGARH, Feb 19: Haryana has sharply ramped up its fight against HIV/AIDS, testing more than 12.40 lakh people in the current financial year alone and expanding its treatment infrastructure to reach patients in every corner of the state, Additional Chief Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Department, Dr. Sumita Misra said on Wednesday.
Of the 12,40,205 people screened for HIV between April 2025 and January 2026, out of which 5,877 were found to be HIV positive. The state is currently running 104 Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres, including a mobile unit in Faridabad, all offering free and confidential services. Dr. Misra said the government's priority was to make testing and care accessible without stigma for every section of society.
One of the significant achievements this year has been in maternal health. As many as 5,65,830 pregnant women were tested for HIV, of whom 613 tested positive and have been linked to treatment timely which helps in Elimination of Vertical Transmission of HIV/AIDS .
On the treatment side, Haryana has expanded its Anti-Retroviral Therapy through 24 ART centres spread across major districts including Rohtak, Gurugram, Faridabad, Karnal, Hisar, Ambala and Mewat. Thirteen of these have been newly established within medical colleges, bringing advanced care closer to patients who might otherwise have had to travel long distances. Five Facility Integrated ART Centres and four Link ART Centres are also operational. Altogether 40,851 patients across the state are currently receiving life-saving treatment.
To ease the financial burden on People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIVs) and improve treatment adherence, the state government launched a monthly financial assistance scheme in December 2021, providing Rs. 2,250 per month to eligible PLHIVs. A total of Rs. 54.3 crore has been disbursed under this scheme so far. Registered patients also receive free follow-up care and access to advanced diagnostic procedures - including ultrasound, MRI and CT scans - through a public-private partnership arrangement.
Beyond HIV, Haryana is also addressing sexually transmitted infections through 31 designated clinics offering free counselling, syphilis testing and treatment. A parallel network of 42 targeted intervention projects, run through Red Cross Societies and NGOs, is working with high-risk groups including female sex workers, men who have sex with men, intravenous drug users, truckers and migrant labourers. These projects offer regular health check-ups, six-monthly HIV testing and condom distribution. For those dependent on opioids, 12 Opioid Substitution Therapy centres and three satellite units are operational, with 9,014 patients registered and 4,569 receiving treatment regularly. |
