Mizoram alarmed over increasing AIDS cases

Aizawl, June 9 : Altogether 93 AIDS patients have died in Mizoram over a period of 16 years, according to State AIDS Control Society.

A meeting of the State AIDS Control Society governing body today revealed that a total of 7,062 blood samples had been examined for HIV during the same period and that 1512 of them had tested positive.

Currently, the state has 158 AIDS cases of which 94 are males, while 64 are females, the meeting revealed.

The meeting also informed that the Mizoram State AIDS Control Society (MSACS) had initiated a new Target Intervention project in Aizawl, Champhai and Saitual during 2005-06 where 28 NGOs dealing in HIV/AIDS have become involved.

The state currently has six Parent to Child Transmission Centres located in different district capitals. These Centres look after pregnant women diagnosed as HIV positive.

Recently, a new Anti-Retroviral Therapy centre was opened at the Aizawl Civil Hospital where people living with AIDS and HIV can get medications free of cost.

UNI