Diplomat Correspondent
New Delhi,DD: Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Jagat Prakash Nadda, will lead the national-level observance of World AIDS Day 2025 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, on 1st December 2025.
Senior officials, including the Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Additional Secretary and Director General, NACO; and the Director General of Health Services – will be present, reaffirming the Government of India’s unwavering commitment to advancing the national response to HIV prevention, treatment, care, and stigma elimination.
The event, organised by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), will bring together government leaders, development partners, youth representatives, community advocates, people living with HIV (PLHIV), and frontline health workers, reflecting a united approach to accelerating India’s journey towards ending AIDS as a public health threat.
A youth-led flash performance will underscore the importance of awareness and responsible behaviour.
This will be followed by the inauguration of a thematic exhibition, showcasing digital innovations, programme achievements, and community-led models implemented under the National AIDS and STD Control Programme.
The beneficiary experience stories and an audio-visual presentation will highlight India’s progress under NACP-V, along with upcoming priorities.
A major highlight of the observance will be the launch of a new campaign video series under NACO’s national multimedia initiative, centred around three core pillars—Youth and Awareness, Elimination of Vertical Transmission, and Stigma and Discrimination.
In addition, key national programme resources will be released, including: 7th Edition of Sankalak, India HIV Estimates 2025, Research Compendium, and IT-enabled Virtual Intervention Landing Page.
The event will also feature a special live musical performance, themed around early testing, treatment adherence, and living with confidence.
India’s Progress under NACP-V: India continues to demonstrate substantial progress under the current phase of the National AIDS control programme: HIV testing increased from 4.13 crore (2020–21) to 6.62 crore (2024–25), access to antiretroviral treatment rose from 14.94 lakh to 18.60 lakh PLHIV in the same time period, and viral load testing nearly doubled from 8.90 lakh to 15.98 lakh in the same period.
Between 2010 and 2024, India achieved: 48.7% decline in annual new HIV infections, 81.4% reduction in AIDS-related deaths, and 74.6% decline in mother-to-child HIV transmission.
These outcomes surpass global averages and reflect India’s leadership, sustained domestic investment, evidence-based strategies, and robust community engagement.DD
