Meghalaya Launches Intensified IEC Campaign 3.0 To Boost HIV Testing, Treatment

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Meghalaya will intensify its response to HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) with the launch of Intensified IEC Campaign 3.0.

The two-month statewide drive will focus on young people, early testing, treatment and stigma reduction.

Authorities will launch the campaign on Wednesday alongside International Youth Day programmes at Lady Keane College.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Wailadmiki Shylla will attend as Chief Guest.

The initiative comes amid Meghalaya’s continuing HIV burden and social barriers that deter testing and treatment.

Meghalaya AIDS Control Society data from November 2025 recorded more than 10,000 diagnosed HIV/AIDS cases, including nearly 500 children.

Officials identified East Jaintia Hills as a major concern. National estimates also place Meghalaya’s adult HIV prevalence well above the national average.

The campaign will reach schools, colleges, villages and digital platforms. Its audiences will include adolescents, students, pregnant women, vulnerable groups, healthcare workers, officials, community representatives, media professionals and social-media influencers.

Authorities will conduct rallies, roadshows, village meetings, educational programmes, screening and counselling camps, and door-to-door outreach.

Community radio, digital initiatives, folk performances and flash mobs will broaden its reach.

The campaign will explain HIV transmission, prevention, safer sexual practices, STI prevention, diagnosis and treatment. It will also address misconceptions and the link between substance use and HIV transmission.

Officials will tackle stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV. They will promote the National AIDS Helpline 1097 and the online HIV Risk Assessment Tool.

Meghalaya has previously used community-led campaigns in Jaintia Hills.

Officials hope the latest drive will encourage early testing, treatment access and a more supportive environment.

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Pragati Upadhyay

I report stories and occasionally rescue facts from chaos. By profession, I’m a journalist; by conviction, a social worker who believes words should move people, not just headlines. I question power, celebrate ordinary heroes, and sometimes irritate the comfortable. If truth had a shift, I’d probably be working overtime.