SHILLONG, June 26 (PTI): A total of 234 HIV positive cases have been detected so far in Meghalaya, which National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) described as a low prevalence rate of 0.06 per cent. “The affected people, which include 26 female and six children, are being treated at Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres,” said Dr Pushkar Singh, North-East Coordinator, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

He was speaking on the occasion of International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, observed today.

He said there could be more than 1,200 cases in the state, but as people did not come up for voluntary testing, it was difficult to get the exact number of affected people.

Quoting a baseline study by UNODC, Singh said 95 per cent of the population in the state did not have complete understanding on HIV/AIDS.

Working with NGOs focused on drugs abuse, UNODC looks at June 26 as a date for raising public awareness on the diminishing returns of substance abuse, through innovative programmes across the seven states of North East India.

Highlighting the steps taken to control the menace, Dr Singh said Voluntary Health Association of Meghalaya (VHAM) has been running Oral Substitution Therapy (OST) project with the support of NACO.

There are 375 drug addicts from Shillong and Jowai, who have registered under OST project while 170 are in the waiting list, he said.

The UNODC, in collaboration with other agencies, NGOs and government announced a massive awareness campaign in the state.

As part of the three-day programme that started on Wednesday, sporting events, competitions and cultural events were organized, while a series of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials were launched today.

The IEC materials would be disseminated to the people within the next year. – PTI

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