HIV Cases Rise Across Northeast; Assam Tops List with 26,109 Cases in 2024-25

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: It is a matter of serious concern that the number of PLHIV (people living with HIV) has been maintaining a rising trend in Assam and other states in the Northeast. The number of people living with HIV was the highest in Assam among the NE states, with 26,109 in 2024-25. Sikkim had the lowest number of 446 people living with HIV among the NE states in that year.

According to the statistics of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Assam had 11,364 people living with HIV in 2020-21. Since then, the number of such people in the state has kept on rising rapidly, reaching 12,966 in 2021–22, 16,088 in 2022–23, 21,592 in 2023–24, and 26,109 in 2024–25.

In 2024-25, following Assam, Mizoram had 20,141 people living with HIV, Nagaland had 19,239, Manipur had 16,920, Meghalaya had 8,262, Tripura had 7,560, Arunachal Pradesh had 2,176, and Sikkim had 446. Besides Assam, the seven other states of the Northeast have also been maintaining a rising trend in the number of people living with HIV since 2020-21. Maharashtra topped the list of people living with HIV, with 3,68,023 in the country in 2024-25.

According to the statistics of the ministry, the Government of India provides free Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) to all PLHIV through ART (Antiretroviral Therapy) centres and Link ART centres under the National AIDS & STD Control Programme (NACP). Antiretroviral (ARV) medicines are procured centrally and supplied to states/UTs based on the number of PLHIV on ART.

It is high time Assam and other states in the Northeast found out the reasons behind the number of people with HIV keeping on rising so rapidly and took preventive measures.

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