HIV/AIDS on decline in Mizoram

Aizawl, Nov 13 (UNI) The Mizoram government today announced that the rate of HIV/AIDS proliferation in the state was on decline substantially among the new born babies.

Talking to mediapersons Health Minister R. Tlanghmingthanga said that a year-wise surveillance of HIV/AIDS in the state showed that the declining trend of HIV/AIDS proliferation was noticed from 2004.

Giving data Mr Tlanghmingthanga said HIV/AIDS cases of mother-to- child transmission category in 2002 was 1.16 per cent and grew to 2.08 per cent in 2003, but fell in 2004 when the percentage slumped to 1.50 and to further 0.81 in 2005.

He, however, admitted that the overall HIV/AIDS scenario in the state was 'not rosy' with the infection among injecting drug users (IDUs) in 2005 and female sex workers (FSW) not seeing much decline.

"In fact, while there was a small decline among IDUs in 2005 compared to 2004, there was an increase among FSW during the period while HIV/AIDS infection through sexual contact is also alarming," he stated.

According to the Mizoram State AIDS Control Society's year-wise surveillance comparison report, HIV/AIDS infection among IDUs rose from 1.60 per cent in 2002 to 4 per cent in 2003. This further rose to 5.33 per cent in 2004 but fell to 4.80 per cent in 2005.

In the sexually transmitted category, the figure for 2002 was 2.60 per cent which rose to 3.80 per cent, an increase of 1.20 per cent, in 2003. The percentage reduced drastically in 2004 to one but again rose to 3 in 2005.

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