India's HIV fight: Big wins, but Northeast sees worrying spike

India Dec 02, 2025

India has made huge progress against HIV—AIDS-related deaths have dropped 81% and new infections are down 49% since 2010, beating global averages.
But the Northeast is facing a tough time, with Mizoram and Nagaland showing HIV rates over five times the national average.

Treatment access up, but regional gaps remain

More people than ever know their status (85%), are on treatment (88%), and have their virus under control (97%).
Still, most cases are clustered in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.
In the Northeast, especially Mizoram and Nagaland, new infections are rising fast—linked to drug use and changing youth behaviors—making it clear there's still work to do.