HIV tests: More than 800 students found HIV positive in this state of India, 47 died; A big reason has come to the fore

Disturbing news has come from the state of India. According to a report released on HIV, so far 828 students have been found HIV positive in Tripura, while 47 students have died due to this dreaded disease. According to a senior official of the Tripura State AIDS Control Society (TSACS), "So far we have found 828 students HIV positive. Out of these, 572 students are still alive and we have lost 47 people due to this deadly disease. Many students have gone out of Tripura to study in prestigious institutions across the country for higher education."

Tripura AIDS Control Society has identified 220 schools and 24 colleges and universities where students are found to be injecting drugs. "So far, 220 schools and 24 colleges and universities have been identified where students are addicted to intravenous drug injection. We have collected data from a total of 164 health facilities across the state. Reports are collected from almost all blocks and sub-divisions before making this presentation," the Joint Director of TSACS told ANI.

The joint director further said that in most cases, these children belong to affluent families who have been tested HIV positive. There are also families where both parents are in government service and do not hesitate to fulfill the demands of the children. By the time they realized that their children had fallen prey to drugs, it was too late.

The main cause of transmission: Needle sharing
HIV/AIDS is a significant global health problem closely linked to intravenous injection drug abuse. Needle sharing among drug users is a primary route of HIV transmission, allowing the virus to spread through blood-to-blood contact. In many regions, this behavior accounts for a large proportion of new HIV infections. Contributing factors include hazardous injection practices, limited access to sterile needles, and marginalization of drug users. Sharing needles, syringes, or other injection equipment increases the risk of HIV transmission manifold, as the virus can survive outside the body in residual blood.

What is the way to prevent this? Efforts to tackle this issue include harm reduction strategies, such as needle exchange programs, which provide sterile equipment to drug users to reduce the risk of infection. These programs also provide counseling, testing, and referrals to addiction treatment services, which aim to prevent HIV transmission as well as address drug use disorders.
(PC: Freepik)