Family Planning Association of India (FPAI), Nagaland branch organized a webinar on the topic “Relearning HIV during COVID- 19 pandemic” with ARK Foundation Association (AFA) president, KethoAngami, as the resource person on August 28.
A press release by FPAI Nagaland branch, programme officer Akangkokla Namo stated that, resource person spoke on Northeast being the epic centre of HIV in India, the states of Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram have been competitive in the race of increased cases of HIV positive. He shared his grievances by stating that the injecting drug users are been tagged as the key people infected with HIV, however, he rectified that majority of the cases have been linked to sexual root, which was recorded based on the surveys conducted in Nagaland. Today the system was hampered with the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic which was affecting the services for the existing diseases, he added.
Ketho Angami opined that youths play an important role to bring positive changes in society and encouraged the youths to raise their voices on the existing policies and programmes for accountability. Furthermore, he encouraged that churches should also join hand in sensitizing about HIV to end stigma and discrimination and also provide assistance to people living with HIV along with other NGOs and departments.