AIZAWL, April 30, 2018: Over 1,760 people have died in Mizoram because of AIDS/HIV-related complications since the first case was detected in October 1990.

This was highlighted at a two-day review meeting of the North East State for Basic Service Division and Linkage with Care Support Treatment Research that concluded here on Friday.

Officials of the Mizoram State Aids Control Society on Sunday said, according to a recently-published report of the HIV Sentinel Surveillance 2016-2017 of National AIDS Control Organisation, Mizoram recorded the highest AIDS/HIV-positive cases in the country after Manipur.

Of 6,60,934 blood samples tested during October 1990 to January, 16,451 people were found to be HIV positive, which is 1.64 per cent of the total population of over 10 lakh, while 1,766 people died of complications associated with AIDS during the same period.

The meeting was presided over by National Health Mission director Lalrozama.

Of 4,39,198 blood samples tested among general clients, 14,949 people, including 5,221 women, were found to be HIV positive and of the 2,21,736 pregnant women, 1,502 were found to be infected with the disease.

Sexual contact was the main factor for fast spread of the disease as 67.30 per cent of infected people contacted the disease through unprotected sex, followed by needles sharing at 26.64 per cent, the meeting said.

Transmission through homosexuals/bisexuals was tagged at 0.84 per cent, while 303 (2.03 per cent) people got infected through unknown sources.

The meeting also said 12,099 clients have registered for anti-retroviral therapy (ART) and over 9,000 infected people have taken treatment from ART centres.

During the last fiscal (2017-18), 39,520 blood samples had been tested of which 1,700 people were found to be HIV positive. Of this 1,086 people (63.90 per cent) contacted the disease through sexual contact, 569 (33.50 per cent) people through sharing needles/syringe and 45 (2.6 per cent) from unknown sources.

The meeting also highlighted that the rate of AIDS incidents was highest in the age group of 25 years to 34 years, which was tagged at 42.61 per cent, followed by people in the age group of 35 years to 49 years at 26.56 per cent.

During 2016-17, 225 people died because of various complications associated with AIDS, while 139 people died during 2015-16.

Source: The Telegraph

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