Karnataka's HIV Challenge: 2 Lakh on Treatment, Thousands Undiagnosed

Karnataka is grappling with a significant public health concern related to HIV/AIDS, as highlighted by a recent NDTV report and corroborated by data from the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) and the Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society (KSAPS). The state is estimated to have around 2.60 lakh (260,000) people living with HIV (PLHIV), making it the third-highest in India in terms of HIV burden. A crucial challenge identified is the substantial treatment gap: while 2.60 lakh individuals are estimated to be living with HIV, only approximately 2.05 lakh (205,000) are currently receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). This leaves a notable deficit, emphasizing the need to link more people to essential treatment. Furthermore, a concerning figure reveals that around 54,000 to 56,000 people in Karnataka are estimated to be unaware of their HIV-positive status, presenting a major hurdle in controlling the epidemic and achieving the 'First 95' target of making 95% of people aware of their HIV status. In response to these alarming statistics and a reported increase in HIV infections among younger demographics, the Karnataka government has mandated the organization of Integrated Health Camps (IHCs) in all government, aided, and private engineering and degree colleges across the state. These camps aim to boost HIV awareness, provide counselling, and facilitate voluntary testing. This proactive measure follows recommendations from KSAPS, which expressed concerns about a rise in HIV infections among young people aged 18 to 35. KSAPS data indicates a sharp increase in HIV-positive individuals within the 18-35 age group, with numbers rising from around 44,500 in 2023-24 to approximately 66,600 in 2025-26. While several initial reports, including some of the 'related articles' provided, cited a figure of over 7,000 students aged 18 to 25 recently testing HIV positive as a key driver for these camps, KSAPS Project Director Padma Basavanthappa has officially refuted this specific claim. She clarified that KSAPS does not categorize HIV data by specific groups like 'students' and that the widely circulated figure of 7,000 students is factually incorrect and misleading. She added that while around 39,000 people in the 18-35 age group have cumulatively tested positive since 2004, the emphasis is on voluntary testing and informed consent, in line with the HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Act, 2017. The objective of the college camps is not to enforce compulsory testing but to provide accessible awareness, confidential counselling, and voluntary testing opportunities. To further support this initiative, KSAPS has introduced a QR code-based 'HIV Self-Risk Assessment Tool' for students, allowing them to confidentially assess their risk and encouraging timely testing while maintaining privacy. Health officials highlight that identifying individuals unaware of their HIV status remains a significant challenge. Changing social behaviors, particularly the increasing use of dating applications for anonymous interactions, are complicating contact tracing efforts. This makes it harder for health authorities to identify and counsel partners of newly diagnosed individuals, especially in urban centers like Bengaluru with highly mobile populations. Despite these challenges, early diagnosis and immediate linkage to antiretroviral therapy are critical. Effective ART not only helps individuals living with HIV lead healthy, normal lives but also significantly reduces the risk of sexual transmission of the virus. The Karnataka government and KSAPS are working towards the global 95-95-95 targets (95% of PLHIV know their status, 95% of those diagnosed are on ART, and 95% of those on ART achieve viral suppression) and India's broader goal of ending HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. The increased focus on youth, through targeted awareness and voluntary testing in educational institutions, is a strategic step to close the treatment gap and curb the spread of the virus within this vulnerable demographic.

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