Mizoram improves HIV prevention ranking but records highest adult prevalence rate

Mizoram has shown notable improvement in HIV prevention efforts, climbing to third place in the national ranking for 2025–26, even as it continues to record the highest adult HIV prevalence rate in the country at 2.75 per cent, far above the national average of 0.20 per cent, officials said.
Mizoram State AIDS Control Society (MSACS) Project Director Dr Jane R Ralte said the state has witnessed a steady decline in new HIV infections since 2018, reflecting progress in preventive measures and response efforts under the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO).
“Mizoram has achieved immense progress on NACO’s scorecard in terms of AIDS prevention and response. The number of new HIV infections has been declining consistently since 2018,” Ralte said on January 9.
Despite the positive trend, the state continues to face a high disease burden. Between April 2024 and November 2025, at least 3,257 people, including 953 women and 179 pregnant women, tested HIV positive from over 1.4 lakh blood samples screened during the period. The highest incidence was reported among people aged 25 to 34 years.
Ralte said the first HIV-positive case in Mizoram was detected in October 1990, and since then, a total of 33,781 cases has been recorded. Currently, around 26,321 people are estimated to be living with HIV in the state.
According to MSACS officials, at least 5,026 people have died due to AIDS-related complications since 2005, when antiretroviral therapy (ART) was introduced in Mizoram.
Of the new cases detected between April 2024 and November 2025, 70.4 per cent were attributed to sexual transmission, 27.3 per cent to the sharing of needles among intravenous drug users, 1.8 per cent to parent-to-child transmission, and 0.8 per cent to unknown sources.
Health Minister Lalrinpuii said the state government is intensifying efforts to curb the spread of HIV through multiple interventions. She said 14 ART centres have been set up across Mizoram, with 18,355 patients currently receiving treatment.
The minister added that the government is considering collaboration with churches to enhance awareness and encourage HIV testing among couples before marriage, given the influential role of religious institutions in the state.