Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha Addresses HIV-Positive Students’ Concerns

Agartala (Tripura) [India], July 11: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha has assured that the government is very concerned and vigilant about the HIV-positive students in the state. He stated that numerous programs have been implemented to protect youths and students against AIDS over the years.

In response to recent media reports, the Tripura State AIDS Control Society clarified that the number of HIV-positive students, reported as 828, is a cumulative figure collected over 17 years. The society emphasized that these reports were misleading without proper context.

The National AIDS Control Programme was launched in Tripura in April 1999. Over the past 25 years, the Tripura State AIDS Control Society has worked diligently to manage and control the spread of HIV under the guidelines set by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO). From April 2007 to May 2024, a total of 828 students in Tripura have been identified as HIV-positive, all of whom have received free anti-retroviral treatment (ART) as per NACO guidelines.

The Tripura State AIDS Control Society urged the public and media to consider the broader context and cumulative timeframe when interpreting the figures related to HIV cases in the state.