HIV infections in Assam have increased significantly with new data showing a sharp surge in cases driven primarily by injecting drug use. Raising the alarm, the AIDS Prevention Society has said though the State’s estimated HIV prevalence stands at 0.08 per cent – lower than the national average of 0.20 per cent – over 35,000 people are now believed to be living with HIV in Assam and the actual number of infections could be significantly higher.
“In 2023-24, there were 7,274 new HIV cases detected in Assam, with the number of new infections rising year-on-year. The latest available data for the period ending November 4, 2025 indicates that 19,030 general clients and 1,811 pregnant women were detected as HIV positive in the most recent reporting period,” AIDS Prevention Society chairman and medical director Dr S.I. Ahmed said in a statement. Dr Ahmed said that despite being a low HIV prevalence state compared to other Northeastern states, injecting drug use has become the predominant route of HIV transmission in Assam, accounting for approximately 65 per cent of new infections over the past three years.
The official figures could be even higher looking at the huge numbers of new drug user population and huge confiscations of narcotics by law enforcement agencies.“This marks a significant change from previous years when heterosexual transmission was the leading cause,” he added. Significantly, Assam, being the gateway to the other Northeastern states, and having a large young population and growing migration, is considered highly vulnerable to transmissions. Districts such as Kamrup (Metro), Nagaon, and Cachar have reported the highest number of cases in the latest reporting period. According to the figures provided by the Society, as many as 6,758 cases were detected in 2024-25. Mizoram, Nagaland and Manipur have the highest adult HIV prevalence rates, while states like Tripura and Meghalaya have shown an increasing trend in new infections.
