AIZAWL | February 19: In order to spread awareness among the Mizo youths regarding the dreaded HIV/AIDS in the state, Mizoram State AIDS Control Society (MSACS) in collaboration with United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) had launched various programmes in the state, stated MSACS Project Director Dr. K Ropari today. Spearheaded by the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), a multi media campaign on HIV/AIDS was launched in three states of north east viz,. Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland.


As part of the awareness campaign, the MSACS also worked with churches in Mizoram and organised various sports event to spread the message ‘prevention is better than cure on HIV/AIDS’ among the youths.
Among the sport event, Red Ribbon Inter Village Football Tournament 2010 starting from 25th January to 19th February. The sporting event organised by MSACS with close collaboation from UNODC, ZONET (Private Cable TV) and Mizoram Football Association was participated by hundreds of youths from across the state. Stressing on the aims and objective of the multimedia campaign, the Project Director stated that the campaign has been launched in order to spread the dreaded killer disease, teaching on the importance of protected sex among the people, to keep themselves aloof from drugs, to spread unity in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Among 4169 HIV positive in Mizoram, 26.31% are from the age gruop 15-24 while 40.44% are from the the age gruop 25-42, said sources from MSACS yesterday. Sources also added that unprotected sex is the main cause of transmission of HIV in Mizoram where 62.39% of the victims are transmitted through unprotected sex and 29.88% are transmitted from through the using of drugs (sharing syringes).

In the meatime, local dailies have stated that trend of HIV positive had climb down to 17 % during January, 2010 in compared with December last year and it is found out of blood samples tested for HIV, 4% of the total population is living with HIV/AIDS. According to MSACS data, out of 2000 people blood sample tested on Janaury, 80 persons came out with positive while 38 people were full blown AIDS.Four persons have also died due to AIDS in January which is equal during December last year. The record highlighted that on December last, 86 people have been confirmed contracted with HIV positive from 2,067 blood sample tested. Out of this figure, 63 were males and 23 females.Accordingly, from October 1990 to December 2009, the state housed 4169 HIV positive people. AIDS claims 168 lives in Mizoram till today.