Rising HIV Cases in Assam Linked to Injecting Drug Use

HIV cases in Assam have surged, with injecting drug users (IDUs) now the leading source of new infections. In 2020-21, 6% of new HIV cases were IDU-related, but by 2022-23, this figure rose to 43.7%. A red alert has been issued in Dhubri, where 95% of the 300 new cases this year are linked to needle sharing. The rise in IDU-related HIV is alarming, with young women and students increasingly affected. Despite the state’s anti-drug efforts, drug use continues to rise, with around 5 lakh teenage drug users in Assam. If unchecked, the HIV rate could soar.