Appeals Nagaland govt to reactivate State AIDS Council; adopt integrated health approach
Dimapur, April 5 (MExN): The Nagaland Network of Drug and AIDS Organisation (NNagaDAO), the apex body of NGOs and civil society organisations working in the fields of drugs and HIV & AIDS, has urged the state government to “immediately activate the State AIDS Council and the Committee of Concern.” It called for decisive political leadership to tackle the intersecting crises of substance use disorder, HIV, TB, viral hepatitis and STIs.
NNagaDAO, which serves as an issue-based advocacy platform for collective concerns related to drug and AIDS policies and programmes, stressed that the state must intensify the fight against stigma and discrimination.
While acknowledging that NGOs and community-led organisations deliver the most effective services to key populations, NNagaDAO maintained that these groups must be meaningfully engaged at all levels of public health planning, rather than being treated merely as implementers.
“We are calling for a collective, urgent and sustained response. The state government must take Faith-Based Organisations (FBOs) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) into confidence. We need to plan together as equal partners to prevent a significant setback in public health,” said Abou Mere, President of NNagaDAO.
He further said that accelerating forward movement requires engaging diverse community stakeholders across multiple sectors through coalition-building, and working with them to leverage local wisdom and strategically address systemic barriers.
NNagaDAO also requested the government to adopt an integrated health approach, aligning services for substance use disorder, HIV, TB, hepatitis and STIs with primary healthcare to improve access, efficiency and quality of care.
“Organising services around the holistic needs of the person—rather than specific disease workflows—is essential for ensuring long-term health and dignity,” the organisation said.
The apex body further urged the government to take initiative in implementing modern prevention and treatment tools, including long-acting injectables such as Lenacapavir and Buprenorphine, to ensure treatment adherence and help individuals become productive members of society.
NNagaDAO observed that fragmented financing and disease-specific workflows currently limit the continuity of care, and advocated for a streamlined system ensuring easy access to diagnostics and quality treatment for all.
