Saitual Becomes First Mizoram District to Achieve ‘Surakshit’ HIV Status
Saitual has become the first and only district in Mizoram to achieve ‘Surakshit’ status under the National AIDS Control Organisation’s (NACO) Mobilisation AIDS Suraksha (MAS) campaign. The milestone was confirmed following the August 2026 assessment, with the district meeting all three benchmarks of the globally recognised 95-95-95 HIV control strategy.
The 95-95-95 strategy focuses on three key goals: at least 95 per cent of people living with HIV knowing their status, 95 per cent of those diagnosed receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 95 per cent of people on treatment achieving viral load suppression.
Under the MAS campaign, districts are assessed according to their performance against these three targets. Districts achieving none or only one target are classified as ‘Sangharshee’, while those meeting two targets are classified as ‘Saksham’. Achieving all three targets earns the ‘Surakshit’ classification.
The MAS campaign has been implemented across Mizoram since February 2026, with district-level progress reviewed regularly under the leadership of Deputy Commissioners. The initiative is aimed at strengthening testing, treatment and prevention efforts and breaking the chain of HIV transmission.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Zothanpari Chhakchhuak credited Saitual Deputy Commissioner Srinivas Sadi, NGOs, churches and community leaders for their contribution to the achievement. Their involvement helped expand HIV testing, awareness programmes and community-level outreach across the district.
Health officials, however, have stressed that achieving ‘Surakshit’ status is not the end of the effort. Continued HIV testing will be necessary to ensure that people know their status, while people living with HIV have been urged to maintain regular ART adherence.
Officials said early detection and consistent treatment remain essential to controlling HIV transmission and sustaining the progress achieved by the district.
Mizoram continues to face a significant HIV burden. According to the Mizoram State AIDS Control Society, 34,930 HIV-positive cases have been detected in the state since the first case was reported in October 1990. By July 2026, 6,439 people had died from the disease.
The state data also shows that 29,217 people have registered for ART, while 26,382 have started receiving treatment. The figures underline the importance of continued testing, treatment access and adherence as Mizoram works to strengthen its HIV response.
Saitual’s achievement therefore represents an important public-health milestone for Mizoram, demonstrating the impact of coordinated government action alongside the involvement of community organisations, churches and NGOs in HIV prevention and treatment efforts.
