Mizoram: 443 people died of complications caused by AIDS, says Govt data

AIZAWL:

As many as 443 people lost their lives in Mizoram due to complications caused by Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) during the financial year 2019-2020, as per the official data released by the State Economics and Statistics Department.

According to the statistical handbook Mizoram 2020, released on Monday, 2,339 people were diagnosed with AIDS during 2019-2020.

In 2018-19, 65,615 blood samples were tested and 2,237 people were found to be HIV-positive and 716 died due to the disease. 

During 2019-2020, the handbook said that 51,691 blood samples were tested. 

As per the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), Mizoram, with 2.32 per cent of its total 10.91 lakh population (2011 census) infected, has the dubious distinction of being the highest AIDS prevalent state in the country, 

The state reported its first HIV-positive case in October 1990.

According to the estimate by the Mizoram State AIDS Control Society (MSACS), about 1.19 per 1,000 people are diagnosed with AIDS in Mizoram.

It said that 23,092 people, including 1,972 pregnant women, were diagnosed with AIDS and 2,877 people died of the disease from October 1990 till September 2020.

More than 78 per cent of HIV-positive cases in the state were sexually transmitted, while about 20 per cent of the cases were transmitted through sharing needles by intravenous drug users, MSACS added.

MSACS said that the incident rate of the disease was found to be highest among youths in the age group of 25-34, which was tagged at 42.59 per cent, followed by people in the age group of 35-49 at 26.49 per cent.

(Edited by Aparmita Das)

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