Reports of 828 HIV cases 'misleading'; Tripura CM Manik Saha issues clarification

NEW DELHI: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha issued a clarification on Wednesday that the recent report claiming the state has 828 students registered as HIV-positive is "misleading". As per the government data these figures are cumulative and account for total cases from April 2007 to May 2024.

In response to the reports, Saha issued a statement on the social media platform X. "It is reported that Tripura has 828 students registered as HIV positive and 47 of them died (from April, 2007 to May, 2024).

"The Government of Tripura has been taking various measures to prevent the spread of HIV/ AIDS in the State. It has come to our notice that some recent media reports have led to misgivings on the number of infected students & fatalities", the statement read.

Tripura HIV Cases: Year-wise data

Year-wise number of students affected from HIV in the state is given below-

Affected students receiving free Anti-Retroviral Treatment

The minister also sated that all affected students have received or have been receiving free Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) as per the NACO guidelines.

The clarification came days after a senior official of the Tripura State AIDS Control Society (TSACS) said as many as forty-seven students died from HIV in Tripura, and 828 have tested HIV-positive.

The official stated that among the 828 students identified as HIV-positive, 572 are still alive, while 47 have succumbed to the infection. Additionally, many of these students have relocated from Tripura to pursue higher education in esteemed institutions nationwide.