South Tripura becomes Tripura’s first ‘protected district’ under NACO’s Mission AIDS Suraksha, advancing healthcare access, testing, and treatment to align with UNAIDS global 95-95-95 targets to eradicate the epidemic by 2030 through coordinated administrative action.
In a milestone achievement for public health in Northeast India, South Tripura has officially been declared the first district in the state to earn the ‘protected district’ designation under the National AIDS Control Organisation’s (NACO) flagship Mission AIDS Suraksha programme.
The special status recognizes the district’s sustained progress in preventing HIV transmission, curbing new infection rates, expanding localized diagnostic testing, and ensuring uninterrupted access to Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) for people living with HIV/AIDS. Health authorities emphasized that the initiative directly contributes to the global 95-95-95 strategic targets established by UNAIDS.
The framework aims to end the AIDS epidemic as a global public health threat by 2030 by ensuring that 95 percent of people living with HIV know their status, 95 percent of those diagnosed receive sustained ART, and 95 percent of those on treatment achieve durable viral suppression.
The operational success in South Tripura reflects a coordinated, multi-stakeholder strategy involving district administrative leadership, healthcare infrastructure, and grassroots mobilization. Key officials credited the milestone to an integrated public health delivery model that linked primary health centers directly with community-level outreach.
South Tripura District Magistrate and Collector Muhammad Sajjad P provided vital administrative leadership, steering inter-departmental cooperation and logistical support to reinforce prevention campaigns across both urban centers and remote rural blocks.
On the clinical and organizational front, Chief Medical Officer Dr. J.M. Das spearheaded Health Department coordination, optimizing resource distribution and medical response. District AIDS Control Officer Dr. Manish Chowdhury managed field monitoring, diagnostic tracking, and ground-level programme execution.
State officials also highlighted the instrumental role played by the Tripura State AIDS Control Society (TSACS), which delivered institutional policy guidance, capacity building, and monitoring frameworks.
| Also Read: Myanmar drug cartels push narcotics across Northeast India porous border |
Together with local non-governmental organizations, healthcare workers, and peer counselors, the district bridged testing gaps, reduced societal stigma, and established an inclusive healthcare network that positions South Tripura as a benchmark for disease control across the region.
