1 July 2026 — A sharp rise in HIV cases in Aizawl district, Mizoram, has highlighted the need to strengthen healthcare and HIV prevention services for both local communities and the thousands of refugees from Myanmar living in the state.
According to the Aizawl District AIDS Prevention and Control Committee (DAPCC) review meeting held on 29 June at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office in Aizawl, 1,005 new HIV-positive cases were detected during the 2025–26 financial year from 36,634 blood tests, representing a 2.74% positivity rate.
An additional 52 HIV-positive cases were identified among 8,595 pregnant women tested. More than 10,700 people in Aizawl district are currently receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART).
People aged 25–35 years accounted for the largest number of new infections (381 cases). The majority of infections (762 cases, or 76.3%) were linked to heterosexual transmission, followed by injecting drug use (160 cases), homosexual or bisexual transmission (62 cases), and mother-to-child transmission (12 cases).
The report also recorded 14 HIV-positive children under the age of 14, 79 people aged over 50, and 14 patients co-infected with HIV and tuberculosis (TB).
Mizoram, which shares a border with Chin State, has hosted tens of thousands of refugees from Myanmar since the 2021 military coup. Many refugees continue to face barriers to healthcare, including limited access to HIV testing, treatment, prevention services, and health awareness programmes because of displacement, financial hardship, and legal uncertainties.
Health experts and humanitarian organisations say the growing HIV burden underscores the need to expand HIV prevention, testing, treatment, and awareness programmes for both host communities and refugee populations to reduce transmission and ensure vulnerable groups are not left behind.
During its review meeting, the DAPCC also discussed strengthening HIV prevention efforts, promoting wider access to condoms through the Condom Finder mobile application, and expanding HIV awareness activities in schools. – Reporting by Ben
