Assamhas recorded a three-time rise in HIV-positive cases in the last three years, with an increasing trend of injecting drug users (IDUs) spreading the virus, officials inAssam State AIDS Control Society(ASACS) said.
Data assessed from ASACS said from 1,288 HIV-positive cases detected in 2020-21, the corresponding figure has gone up to 4,018 by 2022-23.
On an Average, 335 cases were detected per month last year (total 4,020 in 2022-23), but since April this year, the detection of positive cases per month has gone up to 445 (1,334 so far).
Around 50% (669 of the 1,334 HIV positive) cases detected in the last three months are IDUs, which officials said is unusually high if compared to the HIV scenario three years ago. Of the 1,288 positive cases detected in 2020-21, only 76 cases or 6% were IDUs.
The concerning trend of IDUs started becoming evident from 2021-22 when 26.54% (628 cases) of the 2,366 HIV-positive cases detected in the state in 2021-22, were IDUs. The corresponding figure further went up to 43.7% in 2022-23 when of the total 4,018 positive cases, 1,756 were IDUs.
In 2022-23, the highest 816 HIV-positive cases were detected in Kamrup (Metro) district, under which falls the Guwahati city areas on an average, it was 68 cases per month.
But in the last three months, 275 cases (an average of 92 cases per month) have been detected in Kamrup (Metro). Kamrup (Metro) district has always reported the highest number of positive cases in the state as the city is a vital transit route for truckers.
But of late, drug users have carried the threat to districts like Nagaon which act as a junction for northern, upper and hill districts of the state. After Kamrup (Metro), the highest 707 cases have been detected from Nagaon district in 2022-23.