Morung Express News
Kohima | February 16
Nagaland has recorded 24,039 HIV positive cases since 1999 and ranks third after Mizoram and Manipur in HIV prevalence with 1.15%, 0.9% above the national prevalence rate.
According to fresh data received from the Nagaland State AIDS Control Society (NSACS), the total figures are updated till August 2018. The data reveals that in just five months (April 2018-August 2018), 876 new cases were detected out of 37,595 tests carried out in 11 districts, indicating a rough trend of 175 new HIV cases per month at an average. Dimapur topped the district-wise breakup with 488 positive cases while Kohima and Tuensang followed with 131 and 106 cases respectively. Mokokchung registered 54 new cases during stated period, Wokha with 22, Kiphire and Peren 17 each, Zunheboto 15, Phek 14 and Mon 12. Longleng was the only district that registered nil HIV cases out of 977 persons who tested their blood. 91% of the new cases belong to the age group of 15 to 49 and the route of transmission for 90% is through sexual contact.
Also, as per the same data, the cumulative figures (since 1999) showed that out of the 24,039 cases that tested positive, 17,315 persons living with HIV (PLHIV) had registered on antiretroviral therapy (ART), out of which, 12190 started ART while 1609 had died and the rest 7663 are ‘alive and on ART’.
