Representational image | Photo Credit: Indiatimes

Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh government on Monday launched a state-level nutrition scheme for HIV-positive children up to 18 years of age. The scheme was launched by the Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur during a campaign awareness organised here by the State AIDS Control Society on the occasion of National Youth Day.

The chief minister said the initiative would go a long way in providing nutritional supplement and boosting immunity of around 400 youth (up to age 18) affected by the disease. Read: 13 warning signs of HIV you must know

“The government would also provide every possible support to these children to enable them living a normal and healthy life,” Thakur said.

To prevent mother-to-child transmission of the deadly disease, he said the state government has also made it mandatory for every expectant mother to go for HIV test from this year.

At present, the official number of the people living with HIV/AIDS in Himachal is around 5,700. Read: Five immune-boosting herbs people with HIV should be eating

Expressing concern over the rise in the number of cases of AIDS, he said there is a need for massive awareness about this disease up to the village level.

Further, the NGOs and individuals would have to come forward in supplementing the efforts of the health department in making every citizen aware of HIV.

The government said that the awareness campaign should be intensified in schools and colleges besides giving special focus on organising skits, street shows, which were an effective mode of communication amongst the common masses.

Earlier, it was reported that Kangra recorded the highest number of HIV-positive cases of the 12 districts in the state.