QR Code To Help Telangana Residents Assess HIV Risk From August 15
State moves from 31st to fifth position in national HIV programme implementation
HYDERABAD: Telangana is set to introduce a QR-code-based HIV self-assessment facility from August 15, allowing people to privately assess their HIV risk by scanning a code and answering seven simple questions, as part of a new digital approach being rolled out by the Telangana State AIDS Control Society (TGSACS).
The QR codes will be displayed at public places, hospitals, offices and other locations, enabling people to access the self-assessment facility without having to immediately approach a healthcare worker. After answering the questions, users will receive information about their risk and where they can access further services.
The initiative is being introduced alongside an intensified Information, Education and Communication campaign on HIV/AIDS and Syphilis, launched at HMDA Grounds on Wednesday. The two-month campaign will run across Telangana from August 12 to October 12 to increase awareness, encourage people to assess their risk and promote voluntary testing.
The QR-code initiative is intended to bridge the gap between awareness and testing by connecting people with the 1097 HIV/AIDS toll-free helpline, free testing facilities, counselling services and nearby NGO or community service centres.
The campaign comes as Telangana has improved its position in the national HIV programme implementation scorecard. The state moved from 31st position among states and union territories in 2022-23 to fifth position in 2025-26, according to the programme document.
As of July 2026, 87.2 per cent of estimated people living with HIV in Telangana were aware of their status, 100 per cent of diagnosed people were on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and 96.1 per cent of those tested for viral load had achieved viral suppression. The programme document, however, notes that people who remain undiagnosed still need to be identified.
At the campaign launch, more than 50 bikes and 25 autos participated in rallies, followed by a walkathon involving more than 1,600 participants and a Mobile Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres (ICTC) Van rally. Participants carried placards and umbrellas displaying QR codes and HIV/AIDS messaging.
Project director of TGSACS, K. Vidyasagar highlighted the state’s progress in HIV prevention, testing and treatment. The launch was attended by transport and BC welfare minister Ponnam Prabhakar, principal secretary health and family welfare, Christina Z. Chongtu, GHMC commissioner, RV Kannan, director of health, Dr Ravindra Nayak and film artist Tanikella Bharani.
The state currently has 127 ICTCs, 11 Mobile ICTCs, 22 ART centres, 11 ART centres under PPP, 48 designated STI/RTI clinics and 30 Sampoorna Suraksha Kendras, among other services.
Speaking on the occasion, minister Ponnam Prabhakar said that it is the social responsibility of every individual to remove the misconceptions among the people about HIV and AIDS and to create the necessary awareness for disease control.
