Silchar: A mobile Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre (ICTC) van was launched in Cachar district on Tuesday to take HIV testing and counselling services directly to vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations.Cachar district commissioner Ayush Garg flagged off the mobile ICTC van at a formal programme attended by joint director of health services Dr Sumana Naiding, senior health officials and healthcare workers.According to the health department, the specially equipped vehicle will travel to HIV hotspots and high-risk areas across the district, providing on-the-spot HIV screening, counselling and outreach services. The initiative is aimed at improving access to testing and treatment among vulnerable and marginalised communities while also strengthening awareness and prevention measures.Officials said the mobile service would help expand community-based HIV intervention programmes by facilitating early diagnosis, prompt counselling and referral to treatment centres wherever required.The launch comes as health authorities report a rise in HIV cases across the Barak Valley, particularly in Cachar and Sribhumi districts. Officials attribute the surge largely to injecting drug use (IDU), with needle-sharing now accounting for nearly 60% of new HIV infections, overtaking heterosexual transmission as the leading mode of spread.Cachar remains one of Assam’s major HIV hotspots and routinely records the state’s second-highest HIV burden after Kamrup (Metro). Recent detection drives have reported hundreds of new infections, with a significant number of cases involving young adults.Sribhumi district has also emerged as a major area of concern, with more than 2,500 people living with HIV and over 100 new cases detected within a recent six-month period.Although Hailakandi records comparatively lower numbers, health authorities said surveillance is being maintained due to its proximity to high-prevalence transmission networks in neighbouring districts.Health officials said the mobile ICTC service is expected to increase testing coverage, reduce stigma and improve timely access to treatment to help curb the spread of HIV in the region.
