Bihar’s Sitamarhi district is facing a rising public health crisis after an official data revealed that over 7,400 people have tested positive for HIV. This figure includes more than 400 children. According to figures from the Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) Centre at the district hospital, most of these children are believed to have contracted the virus from their parents, putting immense pressure on the local healthcare system.
The cases largely involve families in which one or both parents are HIV-positive, leading to transmission at birth. According to a report by News18, medical officers at the ART Centre described the situation as deeply concerning. They attributed the surge to limited public awareness about the infection and its transmission. Dr Haseen Akhtar, a medical officer at the centre, stated that awareness remains “severely low” despite campaigns. He noted that the centre records 40 to 60 new cases every month and is currently providing medication to around 5,000 patients.
Official on HIV Spread in Sitamarhi
Furthermore, on the HIV cases, Assistant Civil Surgeon & HIV Nodal Officer, Sitamarhi, J Javed said, “Other districts have more HIV cases than us… This is not a disease that spreads through coughing. It spreads through blood transfusion or being injected with the same needle. Today, schools are teaching about AIDS, HIV… Bettiah, Motihari, and Muzaffarpur are in a worse situation than we are. Around 250 to 300 patients come to us daily to get medicines; the total number of patients under treatment is 6,707. This data is from 2012 to the present.”
#WATCH | Sitamarhi, Bihar: On the HIV cases, Assistant Civil Surgeon & HIV Nodal Officer, J Javed says, "… Other districts have more HIV cases than us… This is not a disease that spreads through coughing… It spreads through blood transfusion or being injected with the same… pic.twitter.com/1LyxzGGfoH
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Multiple social factors, including marriages conducted without prior health checks, large-scale migration for work, poor awareness about HIV transmission, and widespread social stigma have been flagged as reasons for the increase in cases. In response to the increasing numbers, the ART Centre is planning new community outreach initiatives, with health teams preparing to conduct HIV testing camps in local villages as well.
What is HIV?
According to the WHO, Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) occurs at the most advanced stage of infection. HIV targets the body’s white blood cells, weakening the immune system. HIV remains a major global public health issue, having claimed an estimated 44.1 million lives to date. states the WHO data.
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