Nagaland ranks second in adult HIV prevalence in India: Official

August 14, 2024 8 Views No Comment

Our Correspondent
Kohima | August 14

Nagaland is ranked second in Adult HIV Prevalence at 1.34% next to Mizoram (2.32%).

“Our data is almost 5-6 times higher than the national average of 0.22%,” noted Dr Nukshisangla Jamir, Joint Director, BSD, NSACS while speaking at the Red Ribbon Club (RRC) Youth Convention 2024 at Capital Convention Centre Kohima.

This convention, for Kohima Zone, was organised by the Nagaland State AIDS Control Society (NSACS) as part of the ongoing Intensified IEC (Information, Education, and Communication) Campaign.

The State also has the highest HIV infection among pregnant women, Dr Jamir informed.

“Our State has 14,113 PLHIV who are alive and taking treatment,” she added.

As per the Joint Director, there are four scientifically proven routes of transmission – Sexual route (86.5%), Homosexuality (1.1%), sharing of infected needle/syringes (8.52%), HIV positive mother (not on treatment) to her child during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding (3.15%) and transfusion of infected blood.

She said that the HIV programme have testing sites in all the district hospitals, Community/Public/Sub health centres and even at the Village Health and Nutrition Days (VHNDs) at the village levels.

The HIV screening are also available at all 43 TI (Targeted Intervention) sites in the state, Dr Jamir informed.

All screening and confirmatory tests for HIV are available free of cost at the government hospitals, she said. There is an ART (Antiretroviral therapy) Centre at 12 district hospitals in Nagaland.