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Meghalaya Draws Up Mission-Mode HIV Policy With Premarital Testing Proposal

District consultations are informing a cabinet note that addresses a surge to 3,432 cases in East Khasi Hills alongside alarming treatment dropouts.

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HIV/AIDS
Ampareen Lyngdoh said HIV/AIDS cases in East Khasi Hills alone have doubled to 3,432, but only 1,581 patients were under treatment (X/ampareenlyngdoh)
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Overview

  • The Health Department will submit a cabinet memorandum outlining a mission-mode policy that may require HIV testing before marriage registration.
  • Regional consultations in Garo Hills and Jaintia Hills with doctors, MLAs and bureaucrats are underway to refine area-specific strategies ahead of the cabinet meeting.
  • Official data show HIV cases in East Khasi Hills have doubled to 3,432 over the past year, with only 1,581 patients currently in treatment.
  • A further 681 HIV-positive individuals have dropped out of follow-up treatment and 159 deaths have been linked to ART discontinuation since 2006.
  • Officials cite sexual transmission as the predominant driver of infections and note a lack of accurate data on injecting drug use due to testing limitations.