By. Dr. S.N. Mothi, Chairman & Founder-Trustee, Asha Kirana Charitable Trust Hospital & Research Centre, Mysuru.

World AIDS Day is observed on 1st December every year since 1988 to raise awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection and mourning those who have died of the disease. “Take the Rights Path: My Health, My Right!” is the theme for World AIDS Day-2024.

The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Karnataka is down trending from 1.33% (2013-14) to 0.33% (October 2024-2025).

Global HIV statistics

• 39.9 million [36.1 million–44.6 million] people globally were living with HIV in 2023.
• 1.3 million [1 million–1.7 million] people became newly infected with HIV in 2023.
• 6,30,000 [5,00,000–8,20,000] people died from AIDS-related illnesses in 2023.
• 30.7 million people [27–31.9 million] were accessing anti-retroviral therapy in 2023.
• 88.4 million [71.3 million–112.8 million] people have become infected with HIV since the start of the epidemic.
• 42.3 million [35.7 million–51.1 million] people have died from AIDS-related illnesses since the start of the epidemic.

We recognise that 39.9 million globally live with HIV and 1.3 million new infections were reported in 2023: far exceeding the 2025 target of fewer than 3,70,000.

In the WHO South-East Asia Region alone, there are approximately 3.9 million people living with HIV (PLHIV), representing 10% of the global burden.

In 2023, 78% of PLHIV in the region knew their status, 66% had received life-saving anti-retroviral treatment and 64% had suppressed viral load among people living with HIV. While we have made significant strides in reducing HIV/AIDS rates through strong national commitments, we must acknowledge the ongoing challenges that persist.

A rights-based approach is a commitment to uphold the dignity, health and autonomy of every individual, especially those with vulnerabilities and are most at-risk. We must boldly tackle the stigma and discrimination that stand as formidable barriers to accessing prevention, treatment and care.

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), and long acting anti-retrovirals provide hope in reducing HIV transmission. It is imperative that Governments, donors and partners collaborate to ensure these tools are available, accessible and affordable to all across the region.

Realising the ‘95-95-95’ goals: ensuring that 95% of people with HIV are diagnosed, 95% of those diagnosed receive sustained treatment and 95% of those on treatment achieve viral suppression.

We have to ensure that every young person and every individual living with HIV/AIDS can proudly declare, “My Health, My Right!”

Can using drugs increase your chances of getting or transmitting HIV?

Yes. Using drugs affects your brain, alters your judgment and lowers your inhibitions. When you use drugs, you may be more likely to make decisions that increase your chance of getting or transmitting HIV. These include having anal or vaginal sex without HIV prevention tools, such as HIV prevention and treatment medications or condoms, having sex with multiple partners, or exchanging sex for drugs.

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and HIV continue to pose significant health challenges in India. Despite progress in awareness and treatment, the prevalence of STIs, including syphilis, gonorrhoea and chlamydia, remains high, particularly among high-risk groups such as sex workers, men who have sex with men (MSM) and people who inject drugs.

HIV, primarily transmitted through unprotected sex, needle sharing and mother-to-child transmission, affects millions in India.

Asha Kirana continues to care PLHIV, with over 11,000 patients on rolls. Some good news — we have 14 kids born with HIV, grew up and got married to HIV partner, conceived and new generation born is HIV-free.

HIV is no longer a dreadful disease. HIV is not spreading through responsible patients who are adhering to medications and their viral load being undetectable and they remain healthy and productive throughout their lives and lead a healthy family life.

[Source: NACO, WHO, UNAIDS]