Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the state has taken significant steps in the past two years to address the issue of HIV and improve overall healthcare.

He said that targeted individuals were being provided with equal access to awareness, testing, and medication.

In 2024 alone, 8 lakh people were made aware of HIV and from January 2023 to October 2024 a record 5,92,902 individuals tested for HIV at 234 testing camps organized for the purpose.

He disclosed this while presiding over the 37th World AIDS Day programme organised in Shimla on Sunday under the theme “Take the Right Path”. During the event, the chief minister launched the ‘Car Bin’ initiative to promote HIV awareness and cleanliness.

In the first phase, 4,000 taxis will be equipped with these bins free of charge, with plans to cover all 30,000 taxis in the state in a phased manner.

He said the state currently has 55 testing and counselling centers along with two mobile testing vehicles offering free HIV testing services.

The Chief Minister gave the “3-G Formula” for HIV prevention, “Get Aware, Get Tested and Get Victory over HIV” and urged the youth to adopt this principle and contribute in raising awareness. “Young people must be made aware of HIV so that they could encourage others in their communities to voluntarily undergo HIV testing,” he said.

He called on them to ensure greater youth participation in initiatives such as the Red Ribbon Clubs.

Sukhu also assured HIV-positive individuals of free treatment and medications through Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) centers immediately after detection. Presently, 5,897 individuals in the state are availing of free treatment and medication facilities.

He expressed concern over the link between substance abuse, syringe use, and the spread of HIV. “The rising cases of drug use among the youth and substance abuse through syringes deeply concern us as they lead to a serious impact on the future of our coming generations,” he added.

The chief minister said HIV was not just a health challenge but also a socio-economic issue and called for a united effort from all departments, institutions, educational bodies, representatives, and community members to end discrimination and create widespread awareness. “Together, we will defeat HIV and gift our youth an HIV-free Himachal,” he added.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. (Col.) Dhani Ram Shandil reaffirmed the government’s commitment to eliminating HIV through continuous awareness programmes.

He said initiatives such as village outreach campaigns and social media awareness drives were being conducted to make people aware of HIV. Apart from this, a toll-free helpline, 1097 has been started to provide accurate information on HIV.

He emphasised the importance of identifying HIV-positive individuals early to ensure timely treatment.

The health minister highlighted the significance of a healthy society in building a robust nation.

Earlier, the chief minister flagged off an awareness marathon from his official residence, Oak Over which was concluded at Hotel Peterhoff.

The winners of the marathon were felicitated by the chief minister.