Pune, 6 April 2026

India is committed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. To accelerate this journey, the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) has identified 219 high-priority districts where intensified action is needed. Districts are being positioned as the frontline of intervention, with strengthened monitoring and supportive supervision to ensure that progress is both measurable and meaningful.

As part of this effort, NACO—under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare is deepening collaboration with States through a series of workshops designed to energize district-level responses and foster collective accountability. These workshops bring together senior officials from State, districts and partner organisations to work towards developing strategies and reaffirm commitment to the national HIV response.

The next workshop is scheduled to take place in Pune on 7 April 2026. The workshop will be chaired by Dr. Rakesh Gupta, Additional Secretary and Director General, NACO and will bring together key stakeholders, including State and district-level programme functionaries. Dr. Nipun Vinayak, Principal Secretary, Public Health Department; Dr. Kadambari Balkawade, Commissioner of Health Services & Mission Director, NHM and Dr. Sunil Bhokare, Project Director, Maharashtra State AIDS Control Society (MSACS), Govt. of Maharashtra will be present. Participants will also include the CEO and Additional CEOs of Zilla Parishads, Civil Surgeons, DHO and District AIDS Control Officers from across the State to review progress and strategize the way forward for HIV epidemic control in Maharashtra.

This initiative is being implemented as part of NACO’s efforts to strengthen programme delivery, in close collaboration with States in districts contributing significantly to the HIV burden. Maharashtra, with an HIV prevalence 0.29% and an estimated 3,99,023 people living with HIV (PLHIV), has been identified as a priority State under this focused approach. A total of 22 priority districts, including Ahilyanagar, Amravati, Beed, Chandrapur, Dharashiv, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Latur, Mumbai (Suburban), Nagpur, Nanded, Nashik, Palghar, Parbhani, Pune, Raigad, Sangli, Satara, Solapur, Thane, Wardha and Yavatmal, have been selected for intensified programme action. 

District teams from these priority districts will present their progress, highlight operational challenges and develop targeted strategies to enhance service delivery. Key areas of focus will include improving access to HIV prevention and testing services, strengthening linkage to and retention on treatment and ensuring better health outcomes for people living with HIV.
By fostering coordinated action from the national to the district level, these workshops reinforce a data-driven and decentralised approach to programme implementation. The initiative is expected to significantly accelerate progress towards national HIV/AIDS control targets and support India’s commitment to ending AIDS as a public health threat.

PIB Pune| Harshal Akude/ Priti Malandkar

 

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