Tripura CM expresses concern over growing HIV positive cases

Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Thursday expressed serious concern over the growing HIV-positive cases among the youth, with 150-200 such cases being reported in the northeastern state every month.

Saha said the state has as many as 5330 HIV-positive or AIDS patients. Of them, 4295 are male, 1,033 female and three transgenders.

The situation in the state is moving towards a "disastrous turn" and the problem needs to be addressed right now, he said at a programme in Agartala.

Saha said Manipur used to have the highest HIV positive prevalent rate in the 1970s and other Northeastern states were worried about the spread of the threat.

“Now, our state is badly affected by the HIV positive cases mainly through Injectable Drug Use (IDU). It is the right time to raise the alarm,” he said.

“Of the total 5330 affected persons, 558 students are identified as HIV positive because of injecting drugs through the same syringe. Around 150-200 new HIV-positive cases are reported to the Tripura State AIDS Control Society (TSACS) every month. In a small state like Tripura, the affected student number is quite big,” he said.

Advocating well-coordinated efforts to address the problem, the chief minister appealed to the principals, headmasters and guardians to organise sensitisation programmes to get rid of the menace.

“We must identify the students who are deviating from normal life and undertake the rehabilitation process by taking into confidence their guardians. Only police and doctors can’t address the growing threat. The government will analyse the data and revisit the strategy to contain the drug menace,” he said.