Shillong, June 17: The Meghalaya AIDS Control Society (MACS), under the leadership of the Hon’ble Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Mazel Ampareen Lyngdoh, convened a preparatory and briefing meeting for the upcoming Integrated Health Campaign (IHC) 2025 at the State Secretariat.
The meeting aimed to ensure coordinated planning across departments for the successful rollout of the campaign in East Khasi Hills District. The IHC 2025 is a critical public health initiative focused on reaching at-risk populations through hybrid outreach methods including door-to-door visits for screening, testing, and treatment linkage related to STIs, HIV, Tuberculosis, and Hepatitis B & C.
The campaign emphasizes the importance of multi-sectoral collaboration to strengthen health services at the grassroots level. In her address, Dr. Ampareen Lyngdoh encouraged departmental heads to prepare actionable plans in support of the campaign, stressing the urgency to close gaps in awareness, access, and prevention.
She also highlighted the need for community-driven efforts to ensure that services reach even the most remote populations. Building on the success of similar campaigns in West Jaintia Hills and Ri Bhoi Districts, the meeting reviewed practices such as engaging peer educators to reach marginalized communities and conducting expanded home-based testing.
Dr. Amparren also requested a dedicated interaction with peer educators to better understand their on ground experiences and strengthen their involvement in targeted outreach.
As per the India HIV Estimates 2023 (NACO & NIMS, ICMR), Meghalaya has an estimated 9,501 people living with HIV and records approximately 928 new infections each year.
The most common route of transmission remains through high-risk sexual behavior, reinforcing the importance of comprehensive awareness and prevention programs.
During the meeting, the Minister expressed concern over the limited interventions currently in place to monitor and control the spread of HIV and STIs among Commercial Sex Workers.
While a few are registered under the Manbha Foundation and regularly tested, Dr. Ampareen emphasized the need for more robust initiatives and monitoring systems to ensure consistent outreach and care for this vulnerable population.
The meeting also focused on aligning HIV interventions with the upcoming Integrated Health Campaign, which aims to deliver a comprehensive package of health services, including HIV testing, TB screening, maternal health check-ups, NCD screening, and immunization, at the community level.
Key decisions taken during the meeting included: Strengthening convergence at the district and block levels, with active involvement of local MLAs. Including HIV/AIDS education and testing as a core component of the Integrated Healthl Campaign.
Mobilizing community leaders, faith-based organizations, youth groups, and local institutionsl to support awareness and testing drives. Enhancing the role of ASHAs and other frontline workers in HIV outreach and linkage to services during the campaign. Establishing robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to track progress and measure outcomes.
The meeting concluded with a collective call for ownership, renewed commitment, and strengthened interdepartmental coordination to ensure that the Integrated Health Campaign 2025 achieves meaningful outcomes and accelerates progress in HIV prevention and public health advancement in Meghalaya.
