Aizawl: Chief Minister Lalduhoma formally launched an Intensified IEC Campaign on HIV and the HIV Test Drive Campaign 2025 at the I&PR Auditorium. Health Minister Lalrinpuii attended as Guest of Honour, while Minister B. Lalchhanzova was also present.
In his address, the Chief Minister stressed that while HIV has no cure, prevention is possible only through informed choices and behavioural change. He called for awareness programmes to reach remote villages and border areas, noting that despite Mizoram’s high level of HIV/AIDS awareness, the State continues to face one of the highest prevalence rates in the country.
For 2024–25, health workers reported that 68.13% of new HIV cases were due to sexual transmission, and 29.25% from sharing needles among injecting drug users. In Mizoram, 97.38% of infections are linked to these two causes. According to ICTC counsellors, most people who test positive already know how HIV is transmitted but are unwilling to change their risky behaviours.
Lalduhoma urged people to reject drug use and unprotected sex, and called upon village leaders to work closely with health workers. He also invited the Young Mizo Association (YMA) to spread awareness through its programmes, pointing out that the main causes of HIV transmission run contrary to Christian values.
Health Minister Lalrinpuii reaffirmed that HIV/AIDS remains a serious challenge in Mizoram, urging everyone to get tested and participate in prevention efforts. She emphasised that public cooperation is essential for the campaign’s success.
Since 1990, Mizoram has recorded 32,994 HIV-positive cases, including 2,471 new cases in 2024–25, comprising 1,602 males and 869 females, among them 140 pregnant women. It was noted that 97% of HIV infections in the State are preventable.
Under the Intensified IEC Campaign, awareness and testing drives will be conducted in all 88 villages across Mizoram’s 11 districts, aiming for maximum testing coverage during the campaign period.
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