Intensified HIV Awareness Drive Launched :

Hoshiarpur / Daljeet Ajnoha/August 12 ;
A 60-day special HIV awareness campaign, running from August 12 to October 12, 2026, has been launched in Punjab under the direction of the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO). The Punjab State AIDS Control Society is conducting the campaign across the state to boost awareness about HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
The campaign was inaugurated by Civil Surgeon Hoshiarpur Dr. Mandeep Kamal, who flagged off an awareness rally of nursing college students. She said the primary objective of the drive is to raise awareness among the general public — especially youth and high-risk groups — about HIV/AIDS and STIs.
As part of the campaign, public information will focus on testing, treatment and counseling services to achieve the 95-95-99 targets for HIV control and prevention. Special efforts will also be made to reduce stigma and discrimination associated with HIV.
Dr. Kamal said awareness activities will include door-to-door outreach, village-level meetings and HIV testing camps. The campaign will target 82 high-impact villages in Hoshiarpur district, informing residents about prevention, safe behaviors and available health services. Folk performances and community shows will be organised to reach people through local art forms.
Under the Red Ribbon Clubs, colleges will host HIV-awareness sessions, poster-making competitions, red-ribbon human chains and slogan-writing activities. Schools will run awareness sessions for students under the Adolescent Education Programme (AEP). To maximise reach, flash mobs and community rallies will be held at crowded locations such as markets, malls and transport hubs.
All ART centres will organise special health and nutrition seminars for people living with HIV (PLHIV) to strengthen their overall health, nutrition and treatment adherence. District hospitals will also host focused health camps for HIV awareness and testing.
Dr. Kamal appealed to the public to avoid misconceptions and discrimination regarding HIV and, if in doubt, to access confidential and free counseling and testing services at nearby ICTCs/HIV testing centres. She emphasised that accurate information, timely testing and treatment help individuals contribute to HIV prevention and control.
Also present on the occasion were District Family Welfare Officer Dr. Ranjit Singh; Dr. Kapil Dogra, DDHO; Dr. Navjot Singh, SMO; Dr. Shakti, DTO; Ravinder Jassal, Deputy Mass Media Officer; Rohit Sharma, Block Educator; Sarbjit Singh, ICTC Counsellor; Rajveer Singh, ART Centre Counsellor; Sarbjit Kaur; Harpreet Kaur, Staff Nurse; and nursing college students.