India, March 4 -- For years, Mizoram has grappled with a high burden of HIV, driven primarily by drug abuse and unprotected sex. With a staggering adult HIV prevalence rate of 2.73%, ten times the national average, the crisis once seemed insurmountable. However, in a significant turnaround, recent trends indicate that the rate of new infections has been on the decline since 2017, providing a glimmer of hope in the state's fight against the deadly virus.

Mizoram has long faced a difficult battle with HIV, with 10 of its 11 districts categorised as high-priority by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO). According to Jane Ralte, project director of Mizoram State AIDS Control Society (MSACS), the cumulative number of HIV detections f...