Reuters Examines Growing HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Northeast India, Widespread Drug Use in Mizoram State

Reuters on Monday examined the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in the northeast regions of India, including villages in the state of Mizoram, where widespread injection drug use is contributing to an increasing number of HIV/AIDS cases. The state -- which official figures show has experienced a fivefold increase in the number of HIV cases over the past four years -- is expected to be the seventh Indian state to declare it has a "generalized AIDS epidemic." Two of the other states also are in the northeast region of the country. HIV/AIDS awareness in Mizoram is "dangerously low" among injection drug users and commercial sex workers, and HIV/AIDS-related stigma remains widespread in the state, according to Reuters. Betty Lalthantluangi, an adviser to the state's AIDS Control Society, said, "If the trend goes on like this, there is going to be a big bang very soon," adding, "The disease is spreading from high-risk to non-high-risk people. It is spilling over to the general public, and there is no way to control it" (Denyer, Reuters, 5/23).

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