Guwahati: As India heads towards a Dec 2027 deadline to achieve HIV control, two northeastern states — Manipur and Mizoram — have emerged as critical battlegrounds in the nation’s fight against the epidemic, with prevalence rates that dwarf the national average and threaten to derail the country’s global commitments.Together, these two states account for nearly 50,000 people living with HIV — a figure that constitutes approximately 2% of India’s total burden of 25.61 lakh PLHIV, despite having less than 0.5% of the country’s population.
In a three-day review workshop convened by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) here, health officials confronted a stark reality — Mizoram’s adult HIV prevalence stands at a staggering 2.75% — nearly 14 times the national average of 0.20% — making it the worst-affected state in India. Manipur follows with 0.81%, four times the national rate.“Granular planning, data-driven monitoring and strong local ownership are essential to bend the curve of new infections in high-prevalence states like Manipur and Mizoram,” said additional secretary and director general of NACO Dr Rakesh Gupta while addressing the participants in the second day of the review workshop under Mission AIDS Suraksha here.The deliberations focused on 12 districts in Manipur — including Bishnupur, Chandel, Churachandpur, Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal and Ukhrul — and 11 districts in Mizoram, such as Aizawl, Champhai, Kolasib, Lunglei, Serchhip, Mamit and Siaha.According to a statement by ministry of health and family welfare, Manipur, with an adult HIV prevalence of 0.81% and an estimated burden of over 23,000 people living with HIV, remains a priority state in the national HIV response.Manipur’s seven districts were reviewed in detail to assess micro-level indicators and identify gaps in testing, linkage to treatment, retention in care and viral suppression.On the other hand, the ministry said, Mizoram, which has an estimated burden exceeding 26,000 people living with HIV, was also reviewed extensively. Eleven districts in Mizoram were assessed for district-specific strategies, with particular emphasis on intensified testing strategies, index testing, improved linkage to treatment, scaling up OST services, and focused interventions among youth and high-risk groups.Special attention was given to bridging gaps in early detection and strengthening follow-up mechanisms to ensure treatment adherence and viral suppression.Dr Gupta in his address said, “India has set a clear and time-bound goal to attain HIV control by Dec 1, 2027. Every high-priority district must translate this commitment into measurable outcomes aligned with the 95-95-99 targets.”The primary objective of the workshop is to strategise and accelerate progress towards achieving the global 95-95-99 targets, ensuring that 95% of all people living with the HIV virus know their HIV status, 95% of those diagnosed receive sustained antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 99% of those on treatment achieve viral suppression.
