ITC launched in Namsai

NAMSAI, Apr 15: Along with the rest of the country, the Index Testing Campaign (ITC) was also launched at the district hospital here on Monday.

Index testing is the testing of all the contacts of People Living with HIV (PLHIV), such as sexual partners, injecting drug partners, mother and siblings of PLHIV less than 19 years of age and the children less than 19 years of age, if the index is a woman.

Namsai deputy commissioner CR Khampa launched the campaign from the OST and FI ART Centre at the hospital.

Speaking after the launch, Khampa urged all, especially, field level workers to identify and ensure that all eligible contacts are tested.

Expressing faith in the NGOs working in the district under District AIDS Control office to achieve the goal of 95 per cent of HIV positive in the district, knowing their status and further linking and putting them on treatment.

The DC said the district administration will extend all help in carrying out the exercise.

Earlier, district AIDS Control officer Dr P Tala said the campaign will be carried out in two phases.

In the first phase, testing will be carried out in all the districts with ART centres from April 15 to June 30, he said.

Dr Tala said that the rest of the districts will be covered under the campaign from July 1 to September 30.

After the campaign, the index testing services will become a routine activity, he disclosed.

In Arunachal Pradesh, the campaign is being launched in Itanagar Capital Region, Papum Pare and Namsai district.

Dr Tala appealed to all, especially the PLHIVs in the district, to cooperate during the campaign.