Kerala State Aids Control Society (KSACS)
Mission
- To work towards the goal of eliminating new cases and reducing the number of new cases, various departments work in tandem towards achieving this goal. KSACS has dedicated its strength to averting the spread of HIV and AIDS in the state of Kerala through advocacy, education, empowerment, outreach, preventive services, and improving the lives of people with HIV and AIDS by providing care and support services.
Vision
KSACS is focusing on implementing the National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS and STI (2017-24) which aims to:
- Reduce new infections by 80% by 2024 (Baseline 2010)
- Link 95% of estimated PLHIV to services by 2024
- Ensure ART initiation and retention of 90% of PLHIV for sustained viral suppression by 2024
- Eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV & Syphilis by 2020
- Eliminate HIV related Stigma & discrimination by 2020
- Facilitate sustainable NACP service delivery by 2024
Kerala State AIDS Control Society (KSACS), was formed to implement the National AIDS Control Program (NACP) in the state. It works under the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) which is a part of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of India. As per the Sustainable Development Goals, we have to achieve the goal of Global elimination of HIV by 2030. The ambitious 95-95-95 strategy was announced by UNAIDS in 2014, aiming to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 by achieving 95% diagnosed among all people living with HIV (PLHIV), among the diagnosed 95% be on antiretroviral therapy (ART), and among those treated 95% be virally suppressed (VS), by the year 2025.
Over the years, Kerala has implemented various innovations aimed at increasing awareness and reducing the risk of transmission of the disease among the general population. Controlling the spread of the virus among the general population is considered an important area where increased intervention is needed.
1. Jyothis (Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres - ICTCs)
These centres provide HIV counselling and testing services, including pre- and post-test counselling, Prevention of Parent to Child Transmission (PPTCT) services, Early Infant Diagnosis (EID), HIV-TB collaborative activities, and linkage to care and treatment. They are established in various government healthcare facilities such as medical colleges, general hospitals, district hospitals, sub-district hospitals, and community health centres.
2. Ushus (Care & Support Centres - CSCs)
Under the Vihaan programme, these centres support People Living with HIV (PLHIV) by linking them to social welfare schemes, providing peer and psychosocial counselling, treatment adherence support, home visits, stigma reduction initiatives, and partner testing. Currently, CSCs operate in seven districts: Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Thrissur, Palakkad, Kozhikode, and Kasaragod.
3. Suraksha (Opioid Substitution Therapy - OST Centres)
These centres offer OST services to individuals with opioid dependence, aiming to reduce the risk of HIV transmission. They are located in various government and NGO-run facilities across the state, including medical colleges and general hospitals.
3. Blood Transfusion Services
KSACS oversees 180 blood centres in Kerala, including 40 government centres. The focus is on upgrading all government blood centres to Blood Component Separation Units (BCSUs) to ensure the availability of safe and quality blood components.
Kerala State AIDS Control Society
IPP Building, Redcross Road
Thiruvananthapuram-695035
Phone: 0471-2304882
keralasacs@gmail.com
