No stone will be left unturned to tackle concern over AIDS among students in state: Tripura CM Manik Saha

Agartala (Tripura) [India], July 11 (ANI): Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha has said that the government is very concerned and vigilant about the HIV-positive students in the state and that no stone will be left unturned to tackle or handle this issue.

Speaking to ANI, CM Manik Saha said that a series of programmes have been taken up to shield youths and students against AIDS for years.

In response to recent media reports, the Tripura State AIDS Control Society has issued a clarification regarding the number of HIV-positive students in the state and stated that this was a cumulative figure collected over a span of 17 years. The initial reports suggested that 828 students in Tripura have tested positive for HIV and that 47 of them have died.

The society has described these reports as misleading and has provided detailed context to better understand the situation.

According to the press release, the National AIDS Control Programme was launched in Tripura in April 1999. For the past 25 years, the Tripura State AIDS Control Society has been working diligently to manage and control the spread of HIV under the guidelines set by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO).

The release clarifies that the numbers reported are cumulative figures collected over a span of 17 years, from April 2007 to May 2024. During this period, a total of 828 students in Tripura have been identified as HIV-positive. Importantly, all these students have been provided with free anti-retroviral treatment (ART) in accordance with NACO guidelines.

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