AIZAWL, Dec 1 - Mizoram, one of the least populated States in India, has got the dubious distinction of being the State with the highest HIV prevalence in the country, officials confirmed here today.
Quoting the latest India HIV Estimates, 2019, the officials said that Mizoram tops the list of States with an adult HIV prevalence rate of 2.32 per cent, which is ahead of the national average 0.22 per cent. Mizoram is followed by Nagaland, another North Eastern State, with a prevalence rate of 1.45 per cent.
The report compiled by the National AIDS Control Organisation also puts Mizoram on the top with regard to HIV incidence rate with 1.18 per 1,000 uninfected population.
The figures were revealed during the observance of the World AIDS Day here on Tuesday. State Health Minister Dr R Lalthangliana, who attended the function held on the occasion as the chief guest, also launched the �Painting the Town Red� campaign on the occasion.
According to the data compiled by the Mizoram State AIDS Control Society, sex is the major mode of HIV transmission in Mizoram. The data reveals that 67.21 per cent of the positive cases from 2006 to March, 2019 have been transmitted sexually, with 1.03 per cent of the transmission route being homosexual.
The next major cause is intravenous drug use, which accounts for 28.12 per cent of the cases.
