Chennai: Tirupathur district in Tamil Nadu has achieved Surakshit status under the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), crossing all three of the 95-95-95 HIV targets through a coordinated district-level strategy focused on early diagnosis, treatment access, regular follow-up and sustained community awareness.
The district recorded 103.5% against the first target of people living with HIV knowing their status, while 97% of those diagnosed were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) and 98.7% of those on treatment had achieved viral suppression.
District Collector V. Nallasivan attributed the achievement to the coordinated efforts of the district administration, Health Department, ART centres, NGOs and other organisations involved in HIV prevention and care.
“Thirupathur has achieved 103.5%, 97% and 98.7% respectively against the 95-95-95 targets. This has been possible through coordinated efforts across the district, strengthened IEC campaigns, testing, treatment, counselling and follow-up, with the administration working closely with health facilities and NGOs,” Nallasivan said.
The administration intensified its information, education and communication (IEC) campaign to take HIV awareness beyond health facilities and into communities. Folk media, sticker campaigns, awareness oath-taking programmes and distribution of IEC material were among the measures used to strengthen public outreach.
The district also identified 33 high-risk villages for focused intervention, with door-to-door awareness campaigns carried out to reach households directly with information on HIV prevention, testing and treatment.
The administration extended the awareness drive to educational institutions as well. Programmes covering HIV prevention and treatment were conducted across 75 schools and 21 colleges, with a focus on adolescents and young people.
The district's response also included measures for children in vulnerable circumstances. As many as 297 orphan and vulnerable children below the age of 18 are being provided financial assistance of Rs 1,000 per month, according to the Collector.
At the health-system level, the district focused not only on identifying people living with HIV but also on ensuring that those diagnosed were connected to treatment and remained within the care continuum. Index testing, partner testing, counselling and regular follow-up were among the interventions used to strengthen case identification and treatment support.
The achievement has involved coordination between the district administration, health facilities, ART centres and NGOs, with community-level outreach forming an important part of the strategy.
Nallasivan said the district would now focus on sustaining the progress and building on the momentum.
“Thirupathur district is committed to sustaining this momentum to prevent AIDS and to continue strengthening our efforts towards the next stage,” he said.
With Surakshit status achieved, Tirupathur is now progressing towards Surakshit Plus status, with continued emphasis on awareness, early diagnosis, treatment adherence, follow-up and community engagement.
Tirupathur District, Tamil Nadu, has attained Surakshit Status by achieving the 95-95-95 HIV targets 🎗️.
— Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society - TANSACS (@tansacs) September 25, 2026
Watch Thiru V. Nallasivan, I.A.S., District Collector, Tirupathur, share the key strategies and coordinated district-level efforts that led to this important milestone. pic.twitter.com/CfzxHCLKwQ
BI Bureau
