The sources said that Mizoram health minister, Dr. R. Lalthangliana, who is currently on tour to the United States, called on the United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) director Regan Hofmann and other officials and informed them the current scenario in Mizoram and the government’s efforts to check the growing spread of AIDS in the state.

During his meeting with the UNAIDS officials, Lalthangliana urged them for financial and technical assistance, the sources said. The sources further said that the minister also appealed to the officials to conduct an in-depth study on the present situation in Mizoram.

The UNAIDS officials on their part assured the minister of all possible helps and told him of their willingness to hold a joint meeting between officials of Mizoram and UNAIDS to study the present status of AIDS in Mizoram, the sources added.

With 2.04 people of its total population of more than 11 lakh being affected, Mizoram has the dubious distinction of being the highest AIDS prevalent state in the country.

Officials of Mizoram State AIDS Control Society (MSACS) said that more than 2,400 people have died due to AIDS and a total of 20,976 HIV positive cases have been detected since 1990 when the first case was detected in the state. They also said that more than 67 per cent of HIV-positive cases were sexually transmitted, while about 28.12 per cent cases were transmitted through sharing needles by intravenous drug users. They added that the rate of HIV spread is extremely “alarming.”