As part of intensified efforts to achieve the targets under the National AIDS and STD Control Programme (NACP) by 1st December 2027, eleven Regional Workshops titled Suraksha Sankalp Karyashala are being organised across the country during February–March 2026. These workshops will cover 219 high-priority districts and aim to sensitise key stakeholders at the State and district levels to accelerate progress towards ending AIDS as a public health threat.
The first of these regional workshops will be held from 25th to 27th February 2026 at Guwahati. The three-day deliberations will focus on reviewing the implementation of NACP in the seven North Eastern States—Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura—and will cover 60 identified high-priority districts in the region.
The workshop will bring together senior leadership and programme functionaries, including Principal Secretaries, Secretaries and Commissioner-cum-Secretaries (Health), Mission Directors of the National Health Mission (NHM), and Project Directors of the State AIDS Control Societies (SACS) from the participating States. District-level representation will include District Collectors, Magistrates, Deputy Commissioners, Additional Deputy Commissioners, District Health Officials, District AIDS Control Officers (DACOs) and other key district functionaries. State Sanyojaks and District Sahyogis from Global Fund partners will also participate, reflecting a coordinated, mission-mode approach to strengthening implementation on the ground.
Launched in 1992 as a Central Sector Scheme, the National AIDS and STD Control Programme is currently in its fifth phase (2021–26). The programme aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 3.3 of the United Nations, which calls for ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. A central focus of NACP is the 95–95–95 cascade: ensuring that 95 percent of people living with HIV know their status, 95 percent of those diagnosed are placed on lifelong antiretroviral therapy, and 95 percent of those on treatment achieve viral suppression for a healthy life (now targeted to be 99%). In addition, the programme prioritises the elimination of vertical transmission of HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis B.
In preparation for the regional workshops, a national-level bootcamp was held in New Delhi on 10th and 11th February 2026 to orient District Sahyogis and State Sanyojaks from Global Fund Partners on their roles and responsibilities under Mission AIDS Suraksha. The bootcamp focused on strengthening their knowledge, skills and capacity to effectively coordinate with district administrations and health officials. Subsequently, on 16th February 2026, a National Workshop was convened in New Delhi to sensitise Project Directors of State AIDS Control Societies and Mission Directors of NHM from 18 States on Mission AIDS Suraksha and to clarify the roles and responsibilities of District Sahyogis and State Sanyojaks.
The Guwahati workshop marks the beginning of an intensive, region-focused review and action planning exercise aimed at accelerating progress in high-priority districts. Through strengthened inter-departmental coordination, district-level ownership and mission-driven implementation, the Suraksha Sankalp Karyashala seeks to reinforce collective commitment towards achieving the 95–95–99 targets and advancing India’s goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat.
Under Mission AIDS Suraksha, districts are categorised based on their performance on the 95–95–99 cascade. Further, in addition to these, elimination of vertical transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B Virus and Syphilis from mother to child is also being targeted. Districts achieving all 95 targets along with elimination of vertical transmission are designated Surakshit Plus, while those meeting only the three 95-95-99 targets are classified as Surakshit. Districts achieving any two targets are marked Saksham, and those with one or none achieved are categorised as Sangharshsheel, enabling focused monitoring and targeted programmatic support.