Latest News | Nagaland Observes AIDS Candlelight Memorial

Kohima, May 18 (PTI) Nagaland on Sunday observed the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial with the theme "We Remember. We Rise. We Lead."

President of Nagaland Network of People Living with HIV (NNP+), Lanu said every third Sunday of May, the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial is observed since 1983 to honour the lives lost of AIDS and renew commitment to show support for people living with HIV.

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Beyond remembrance, the memorial serves as a call to action. It challenges stigma and promotes awareness, urging communities to support those affected by HIV, he said.

Dr Akuo Sorhie, former project director of Nagaland State AIDS Control Society (NSACS), said that remembrance is not just about mourning but about celebrating the resilience and dignity of those who lived with HIV and fought against stigma and silence.

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Highlighting the critical importance of equitable access to antiretroviral therapy, she noted that HIV is now a manageable condition but only "if care is available, accessible, and equitable."

President of Kohima Network of People Living with HIV (KNP+), Aching, who has been surviving on ART since 2004, called for doing away with stigmatisation and early screening and testing so as to stop the spread of HIV infection.

The first HIV case was detected in Nagaland in the year 1990. The HIV prevalence rate in the state is 1.37 per cent, making it the second-highest in the country, following Mizoram at 2.73 per cent.

The event concluded with participants from NSACS, NNP+, KNP+ and students of Indira Gandhi Sports Academy lighting candles.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)