DIMAPUR, FEBRUARY 10 (MExN): The Nagaland State Finance Department has written to the Principal Director, Department of Health and Family Welfare (DOHFW), to submit proposal for utilisation of funds for HIV/AIDS control programmes in the state, which was released by the Government of India on February 6 and February 10.
In the letter to the Principal Director, the Secretary, Finance Department said that the Nagaland State Government wishes to give priority to such proposals despite resource constraints “as their services are noble.” It informed that the funds which were earlier released by the centre have already been released to the department. As such, it asked the Health and Family Welfare Department to submit proposal for the recently released funds without further delay.
It may be noted that the Network of Nagaland Drugs and AIDS Organisation (NNagaDAO) has proposed to close down Drop in Centres on February 15 and 16 and hold protest rallies in all the districts of the state.
ANPUD urge NNagaDAO and Nagaland CM
Meanwhile, the Asian Network of People who Use Drugs (ANPUD) has urged the NNagaDAO to reconsider its decision and to ensure that service delivery is uninterrupted for the community. The ANPUD said that the NNagaDAO’s decision “may create a serious setback to all HIV prevention interventions and a threat to the lives of thousands of key populations, including people who inject drugs, as harm reduction and all HIV related prevention services will come to a standstill.” “This will be a major drawback on all the hard work and wonderful outcomes achieved after decades of joint initiative by the government, civil societies and NGOs in the state,” it added. The ANPUD further urged the Nagaland State Chief Minister, TR Zeliang to look into the matter for immediate release of all HIV programme grants without any further delay.
