Tripura Faces Alarming HIV Surge Among Students

In Tripura, 47 students have died and 828 are HIV-positive, primarily due to intravenous drug abuse. The Tripura State AIDS Control Society reveals that most affected students come from affluent families. Efforts are ongoing to address this rising health crisis.

Forty-seven students in Tripura have succumbed to HIV, while 828 others have been diagnosed as HIV-positive, a senior official from the Tripura State AIDS Control Society (TSACS) confirmed. 'We have so far registered 828 students who are HIV positive. Out of them, 572 students are still alive, and we have lost 47 to the infection. Many students have also left Tripura to pursue higher studies,' the official added.

The Tripura AIDS Control Society has pinpointed 220 schools and 24 colleges and universities where students are resorting to injectable drugs. Alarming data shows that almost five to seven new HIV cases are being detected almost daily, said a senior TSACS official during a media workshop organized by the Tripura Journalist Union, Web Media Forum, and TSACS. The Joint Director of TSACS presented these findings via statistical data during the session.

'So far, we've identified 220 schools and 24 higher education institutions where intravenous drug abuse is prevalent among students. This data was collected from 164 health facilities across Tripura and represents reports from nearly all blocks and subdivisions,' the official elaborated. Additionally, as of May 2024, ART centres have registered 8,729 HIV-positive individuals, with 5,674 still alive. Of these, 4,570 are males, 1,103 females, and one transgender person.

Project Director TSACS Dr. Samarpita Datta, Secretary of Tripura Web Media Forum Abhisek Dey, and President of Tripura Journalist Union Pranab Sarkar attended the workshop. Bhattacharjee attributed the spike in HIV cases to intravenous drug abuse, noting the trend among children from affluent families. 'There are families where both parents work in government services and don't hesitate to fulfill their children's demands. By the time they realize their children have fallen prey to drugs, it's too late,' he remarked.

(With inputs from agencies.)