Mizoram legislators bat for mandatory HIV testing amid rising cases
A meeting of the Mizoram Legislative Forum on HIV/AIDS was held on Tuesday, chaired by Health Minister Lalrinpuii at the SAD Conference Hall, MINECO. The session focused on the state’s rising HIV cases and discussed the possibility of introducing a mandatory HIV testing policy for all citizens.
In her address, Lalrinpuii emphasized the importance of addressing the issue head-on, noting that HIV/AIDS, once perceived as a disease affecting certain groups, now impacts a broader section of the population. She urged legislators and MLAs to actively raise awareness in their constituencies and stressed the need for proactive measures to curb the spread of the virus.
The forum reviewed Mizoram’s HIV situation, referencing the 2023 HIV Estimation Report, which revealed the state’s adult HIV prevalence rate at 2.73%—much higher than the national average of 0.2%. Since the first detection of HIV cases in 1990, Mizoram has recorded 31,461 HIV-positive cases, including 2,541 children.
It was noted that 63.93% of HIV transmissions in the state are due to unprotected sexual intercourse, while 30.80% result from sharing needles and syringes. Currently, 16,661 people in Mizoram are receiving Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), with 5,277 deaths recorded due to HIV/AIDS complications.
The state has 39 Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres (ICTCs) and 14 ART centers providing treatment to HIV-positive individuals. However, challenges remain as many HIV-positive patients, despite being eligible for ART, stop taking their medication or lose contact with healthcare providers. To address this, the forum proposed linking patients’ treatment records to their Aadhar cards.
The meeting also discussed expanding HIV testing and treatment services. In consultation with the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), the forum suggested making HIV testing more accessible and floated the idea of implementing a mandatory testing policy to combat the virus’s spread.
The forum concluded that urgent action is needed to control Mizoram’s HIV epidemic and ensure better health outcomes for those affected.
