The Dimapur, Tuensang and Kohima Districts, out of the 11 districts in Nagaland, have the highest prevalence of HIV with 5.15 per cent, 2.53 per cent and 2.52 per cent respectively, as per data available from April 2006 to May 2018.
 

Addressing the students and faculty at the HIV&AIDS Advocacy Programme held at Withee Bible College at Darogajan in Dimapur yesterday, Nagaland State Consultant of the Nagaland Legislators’ Forum on AIDS (LFA) Dr. Vinito L Chishi said out of the 1, 88,166 people screened for HIV in Dimapur between April 2006 and May 2018, 9,694 tested positive. And out of the 10,46,767 blood samples tested in Nagaland till May this year, 23,491 tested positive for HIV, he added. 

Quoting the data extensively, the LFA state consultant also laid bare some very disturbing statistics. For instance, 73 per cent of those infected with HIV in Nagaland are between 25 to 49 years. Further, 90 per centof the transmission of the dreaded disease is via sexual intercourse, followed by mother to child transmission (6 per cent).

Chishi said 17,301 HIV patients had registered for Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) since 2004, but only 11,753 of them started the therapy. Further, 1,561 of them died while on ART treatment and 7,436 (including children) are currently on ART provided by the Government, the only silver lining, otherwise dark cloud is decrease in the rate of prevalence of HIV from 0.82 per cent in 2014 to 0.76 per cent in 2018. 

Chishi emphasised on the role of the church, theological institutes and Christian leaders in preventing the spread of deadly virus by sensitising people. He said there was a need to approach the church as a platform to “inform, educate and discipline” the people. Stressing the “crucial role” of church as it was at the core of the community, he pointed out that the church was a permanent institution, unlike governments that changed every five years, and, therefore, assumed a greater role.

At a later session of the programme, LFA Administrator Hukatoli spoke on the risks and social concerns associated with HIV&AIDS. She expressed grief that judgemental nature of people in general had made it difficult for HIV patients to find solace and confide in the church. And as those infected with HIV isolated themselves, she urged the church to come up with a more humane approach. 

Hukatoli explained that HIV did not discriminate class or social status and that anyone could be affected. She said high prevalence of HIV also indicated that a society was not highly educated and had no moral bindings due to failure of religious institutions, poor law and order situation and poverty.