HIV positivity doubles as testing drops in Indore:Cases rise despite fewer screenings; concerns grow over hidden spread, treatment gaps

A concerning trend has emerged in HIV testing and monitoring in Indore. After increasing HIV screenings following the Covid-19 pandemic, the health department has gradually reduced testing over the past three years. Despite the decline in tests, the number of HIV-positive cases and the positivity rate have continued to rise. In 2022, authorities conducted the highest number of HIV tests, with over 1.47 lakh people screened. By 2025, the figure had fallen to around 85,000. However, the number of HIV-positive patients increased from 492 in 2022 to 615 in 2025. The HIV positivity rate, which remained between 0.33% and 0.35% from 2020 to 2022, rose sharply to 0.67% in 2023, 0.70% in 2024 and 0.72% in 2025. This means the positivity rate has nearly doubled in three years. The data also points to limited success in spreading awareness about HIV and AIDS at the community level. The number of HIV-positive pregnant women has remained almost unchanged over the past five years, fluctuating between 22 and 28 cases annually. Not all HIV-positive patients are being registered for ART Data shows that not every HIV-positive patient is getting registered at Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) centres. In 2025, 615 people tested positive for HIV, while 609 were registered for treatment. Similar gaps were recorded in previous years as well. Authorities claim monitoring continues from testing to treatment Health officials said that people who test positive during initial screening are referred to Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres (ICTCs). After confirmatory testing and counselling, patients are registered at ART centres and started on treatment. Officials said patients are called for regular monthly follow-ups to ensure continuity of care and monitoring. Around 150 patients discontinue treatment every year The ART Centre at MY Hospital in Indore is currently providing treatment to around 5,500 active HIV patients. According to officials, nearly 150 patients stop taking medication midway every year. To address the issue, NGOs and counsellors associated with the centre track such patients and encourage them to return to treatment. Officials claim that nearly 70% of these patients resume their medication after follow-up efforts. Indore among India’s 20 largest ART centres ART Centre in-charge Dr Ashok Thakur said the facility provides government-funded antiretroviral medicines and maintains adequate drug stocks to ensure uninterrupted treatment. He said Indore is among the 20 largest ART centres in the country and receives a large number of patients seeking HIV treatment every year.