Mizoram Records 9 HIV/AIDS Cases Daily, Highest in India

Aizawl, October 15, 2019:

Mizoram, located in Northeast India, is one of the least populated States in India. However, according to a recent report, the thinly populated state reports nine positive cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) cases daily.

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Mizoram has topped the list of States, with an HIV prevalence rate of 2.04% followed by two other north-eastern States: Manipur with 1.43%, and Nagaland with 1.15% prevalence rates.

Mizoram State AIDS Control Society (MSACS) collected data shows that 67.21% of the positive cases from 2006 to March 2019 have been transmitted through sex (1.03% of the cases are same-sex). 28.12% of the cases are transmitted through needles used for ingesting drugs, which mostly enter the State through the porous border with Myanmar.

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To raise awareness against the deadly disease, Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga has launched an HIV/AIDS sensitisation campaign in Aizawl on October 11.

The Chief Minister said that the Government has to increase the level of awareness about the virus and focus on the treatment and prevention of the disease.

It may be mentioned here that people belonging to the 25-34 years age-group are the most vulnerable in Mizoram, followed by those in the age brackets of 35-49 years and 15-24 years.

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