Assam has 19,545 HIV positive cases, highest number in Kamrup (M): ASACS

GUWAHATI: In the context of recent media reports that there has been an increase of HIV cases in Assam, the Assam State AIDS Control Society (ASACS) has stated that there are at present 19,545 HIV positive cases in the State with maximum number of cases detected in Kamrup (M) district (6596) followed by Cachar (4567) and Dibrugarh (1229). Amongst the other districts, Nagaon has 773 cases, Karimganj 729, Jorhat 641 and Golaghat 509. Amongst the detected cases, 15,624 have been registered in Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART) and 7,992 patients are alive on ART.

ASACS, since its inception in 1998, has been implementing the National AIDS Control Programmes (NACP) under the guidance of National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) in different phases. From the year 2021, the 5th Phase of NACP has started and Sustainable Development Goal (SGD) envisages the end of HIV epidemic as a public health threat by 2030.

As per India's HIV Estimation 2019 report, Assam has 21,223 number of estimated People Living with HIV (PLHIV) with the adult prevalence rate of 0.09 per cent compared to India's prevalence which is 0.22 per cent. Although Assam is a low prevalence State, the State is surrounded by top 3 HIV prevalent States of India viz Mizoram (2.32 per cent), Nagaland (1.45 per cent) and Manipur (1.18 per cent) and Assam is the gateway to all north-eastern States, which makes the State highly vulnerable with risk of new infection, stated a press release.

In order to ensure Assam remains in the low prevalence category and as the State is marching towards the SDG Goal of 95-95-95, Assam State AIDS Control Society (ASACS) has taken various steps for prevention and treatment of HIV infections. As part of the prevention strategy, Assam State AIDS Control Society (ASACS) has started index testing of the HIV positive clients through which contact tracing of the positive clients are done and are tested for HIV with consent so that early detection of cases could be done and further spread of new infection is reduced. Apart from that, ASACS has also started interventions in close settings like prisons considering that there might be people who had high risk behaviour when they were outside the prison and may have been infected with HIV so that they know their HIV status and they start the treatment immediately. In fact, Assam is the first State in India to initiate HIV intervention amongst prison inmates in 2017. As a result, Assam has been able to decrease the annual new rate of infection by 22.7 per cent since the year 2010 as per India's HIV Estimation 2019.

In order to enlighten the masses and the targeted groups of population on prevention and treatment of HIV, various awareness campaigns have been undertaken through Mass Media (TV, radio, newspapers), folk media (Natika, Puppetry, Ojapali), social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, u-tube), Information Communication Technology (ICT) (Mobile SMS, NACO APP), Red Ribbon Clubs (RRC) in colleges, Adolescence Education Programme (AEP) in schools (class 9-12) and through Mainstreaming.

Increase in HIV testing leads to increase in case detection which is done to achieve the fast track targets of 95:95:95 for fulfilment of Sustainable Development Goal, that is to end the HIV epidemic as a public health threat by the year 2030.

Also Read:  Assam: HIV Positive Cases Rising Alarmingly in Morigaon, 27 Cases Detected in 17 Days

Also watch: