Mizoram has second largest number of those with Aids/HIV in North East

Mizoram stands second in prevalence of Aids/HIV amongst the North Eastern states and was only next to Manipur.

Mizoram, having a population of around 10 lakh, has 4,169 HIV/Aids infected people including 1,592 women, while 169 people have died in the state since 1990 when the first HIV case was detected, a study by the Aizawl-based NGO, the Mizoram AIDS International Network said.

The state is now estimated to have 356 full-blown Aids cases with those in the age range of between 25 and 34 years being the highest.

According to the Mizoram State Aids Control Society (MSACS), sexual contact was a major cause of the high incidence of HIV/Aids, followed by blood transfusion and sharing of syringes and needles by drug users.