HIV Test May Soon Be Mandatory Before Marriage in This Indian State

Due to the rising number of HIV and AIDS cases, the Meghalaya government is planning to take major steps to curb the spread of these infectious diseases in the state. On Friday, Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh said that, 'We are thinking about making a new law that would require people to get tested for HIV/AIDS before getting married.

She said that Meghalaya is sixth in the country for HIV/AIDS cases, and the problem is bigger in the Northeast. Talking to a news agency, Lyngdoh said, "If Goa can make testing compulsory, then why can't Meghalaya have its own law? Such laws will help the larger community."

She added, "The state is mentally prepared to take strict measures." The health minister participated in a meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong.

Working on an HIV/AIDS Policy with Full Focus

Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh and eight MLAs from East Khasi Hills also joined the meeting. The goal was to create a strong and focused HIV/AIDS policy. The Health Department has been asked to prepare a cabinet note for it.

The Health Minister said the government will have similar meetings in the Garo Hills and Jaintia Hills areas to create plans for each region by talking with officials and medical experts.

She expressed concern over the rising number of cases and revealed that in East Khasi Hills alone, 3,432 HIV/AIDS cases have been reported, but only 1,581 patients are currently receiving treatment.

She added, "We have only talked about East Khasi Hills so far, and this number is quite high. Sadly, most cases in the state are found in both West and East Jaintia Hills.

'Testing and Screening Are the Real Challenge'

The health minister said that people are mostly aware now, but the main problem is making testing and screening better. She mentioned that 159 deaths have occurred in the district due to the lack of antiretroviral therapy (ART).

She said, "We need to make sure that everyone who gets tested also gets the right treatment. HIV/AIDS is not as dangerous as cancer or TB if it is treated the right way."

The minister stated that the main cause of infection in the state is sexual contact and that drug use through injections has not yet become a major factor, mainly due to the difficulty in identifying users.