Nagaland’s HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate much higher than national average: Survey

Kohima, Jan 9: The HIV/AIDS adult (15 to 49 years) prevalence rate in Nagaland is 1.36 per cent, which is much higher than the national prevalence rate of 0.2 per cent, the state’s Economic Survey 2023-24 said. According to the Economic Survey 2023-24, among the general population, the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate is 1.61 per cent.

The survey said that in Nagaland, a total of 33,396 persons have tested positive for HIV from 2006 to 2023 after screening of blood samples of around 16 lakh during this period. Out of the total blood samples tested during 2023-24, 1.17 per cent tested positive for HIV. Also, 14.83 per cent of the patients who tested positive for HIV are on MBP Nevirapine treatment.

As many as 2.06 per cent of children under the age of 14 years, whose blood was screened, tested positive for HIV during 2023-24. Among the children under 14 years who tested positive for HIV, 53.70 per cent were male and 46.30 per cent were female, the survey report said. From October 2007 till November 2023, a total of 1,385 children (2099 per cent) under the age of 14 have tested HIV positive.

The Economic Survey report mentioned that a total of 26,419 HIV-positive patients were registered in the Antiretroviral Therapy Centre (ARTC), out of which 21,110 were on antiretroviral therapy (ART), while a total of 3,116 patients who were on ART had died. It also reported that a total of 6,205 males, 6,332 females, 12 transgender/transsexual individuals, and 748 children, including 370 girls, who are HIV positive are alive and on ART.

As per the recent India HIV Estimations 2023 report, over 2.5 million people are living with HIV in India, but thanks to concerted efforts, the adult HIV prevalence is at 0.2 per cent and estimated annual new HIV infections are at around 66,400. New annual HIV infections have decreased by 44 per cent since 2010, outperforming the global reduction rate of 39 per cent.