Antiretroviral therapy (ART) medical staff make rangoli designs as part of World AIDS Day organized at Gandhi Hospital, Secunderabad. | Photo credit: G. Ramakrishna
The Telangana State AIDS Control Society (TGSACS) has announced that a series of improvements in testing, treatment, social support and community outreach have helped the state move closer to stabilizing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as a chronic, manageable disease. The company carries out interventions in line with the national goal of eliminating AIDS as a threat to public health by 2030.
With December 1 being World AIDS Day, the latest data shows that the HIV prevalence rate among adults in Telangana has fallen from 0.44% in 2023 to 0.41% in 2025, reflecting a 58% reduction in new HIV infections. The country has also made steady progress under the UNAIDS 95-95-95 Global Framework, which aims to ensure that 95% of all people living with HIV know their status, 95% of those who are aware of their status are on antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 95% of those on treatment achieve viral suppression. Telangana has set a target of 1,56,961 individuals for this target, of which 1,43,173 or 91.2% have been covered so far.
“This is due to continuous expansion of HIV testing services in all districts, community outreach through civil society groups and health facilities, and increased access through mobile testing units and targeted intervention sites,” TGSACS director Vasam Venkateshwar Reddy said.
The program has also seen progress in reducing HIV-related mortality. Better adherence to antiretroviral therapy, better access to CD4 and viral load testing, and enhanced treatment of opportunistic infections have helped prevent many cases from reaching critical stages. Between 2023 and 2024, the state saw a decrease of 977 deaths, a reduction of approximately 16.5%. Between 2024 and 2025, a further decrease of 193 deaths, or about 3.9%, has been recorded so far.
“Outreach and prevention activities at the district level along with education among youth, workers, students and women’s groups have contributed to safer practices and early detection. Regular distribution of condoms, enhanced STI (sexually transmitted infection) clinic services and information and communication programs have contributed to an overall reduction in new infections,” added Mr. Reddy.
Currently, a total of 22 government ART centers and eight private hospital ART centers are functioning with improved availability of drugs, counseling services and laboratory facilities. Extensive community awareness programs have helped drive progress.
Testing coverage exceeded annual targets between 2023 and 2025. The nationwide drives screened 8,21,508 general and antenatal care samples, of which 5,517 individuals were identified as HIV positive. Social protection measures were also expanded under the Cheyutha Support Programme. The program’s financial assistance coverage has reached 34,656 beneficiaries in 2023, 35,547 in 2024 and 45,374 beneficiaries in 2025 so far.
Published – 30 Nov 2025 15:16 IST
