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Intensified last-mile approach required to end AIDS in India: Experts

The theme of the upcoming 17th National Conference of AIDS Society of India is ‘Adding life to years with science’.

4 min readPuneMar 5, 2026 04:13 PM IST

As per the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO),India had 2.5 million people living with HIV in 2022, including 70,000 children.

Vertical transmission of HIV (from mother to child) in India has reduced from 25 per cent in 2020 to 11.75 per cent in 2023.

At a virtual press conference held on Wednesday ahead of the 17th National Conference of AIDS Society of India (ASICON 2026), several experts pointed out that the Indian government-led HIV response has made commendable progress, but to end AIDS, the last-mile approach has to be accelerated and intensified manifold.

The experts said that as per a National AIDS Control Organisation (Naco) report (Sankalak 2024), 81 per cent of 25.44 lakh people living with HIV knew their status, 88 per cent of them were receiving lifesaving antiretroviral therapy, and 97 per cent of those on the treatment were virally suppressed.

Dr Ishwar Gilada, Emeritus President, AIDS Society of India (ASI), said that if a person with HIV is virally suppressed, then there is zero risk of any further HIV transmission. “However, Indian data shows 9-43 times higher HIV rates (as compared to general population) among key populations, such as men who have sex with men, transgender people, sex workers, people who inject drugs, among others,” he added.

According to Dr Glory Alexander, President, AIDS Society of India (ASI), and Founder Director, ASHA Foundation, Bengaluru, a major milestone has been achieved by reducing vertical transmission of HIV (from mother to child) from 25 per cent in 2020 to 11.75 per cent in 2023.

“With the advent of ART and HIV prevention and treatment guidelines, vertical transmission risk has reduced considerably. We have 27-29 million pregnancies every year in India. Latest Naco report shows that 83 per cent of all pregnant women were tested for HIV, and 78 per cent of all pregnant women were tested for syphilis in India. Out of an estimated 19,000 pregnant women who might be living with HIV in India, over 16,000 were reached by the government-run programme and linked to services – half of them were newly diagnosed with HIV. The rate of infant HIV diagnosis (risk of child getting infected with HIV due to vertical transmission) has been reduced to 0.71 per cent. We need to further reduce it to zero to totally eliminate vertical transmission of HIV,” Dr Alexander added.

Focus on young key populations

“HIV testing needs to be increased manifold, especially reaching out to all key populations in person-centred and science-based manner and linking those in need with appropriate services,” Dr N Kumarasamy, Vice President, AIDS Society of India (ASI), explained.

Reducing advanced HIV disease is another priority

“Despite commendable progress in India’s HIV response, we see cases of advanced HIV disease (AHD). AHD rates have declined significantly in the last decade, but we continue to see some cases, mostly among those who are HIV infected but are not on lifesaving antiretroviral treatment. This could be because HIV infection is undiagnosed in people until they present opportunistic infections to healthcare centres, or they were not able to adhere to the treatment for a range of reasons,” Dr Trupti Gilada, Joint Secretary, AIDS Society of India, and Infectious Diseases expert at Unison Medicare and Research Centre and Masina Hospital, Mumbai, also pointed out.

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In the 17th National Conference of AIDS Society of India (ASICON 2026) to be held in Mumbai on Friday and Saturday, experts will discuss how an intensified last-mile approach is required to end AIDS. This year, the theme of the conference is ‘Adding life to years with science’.

Naco, Central TB Division/ National TB Elimination Programme, both under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India; Maharashtra State AIDS Control Society, Govt. of Maharashtra; Mumbai District AIDS Control Society; UNAIDS, and AHF India Cares are among the academic partners of the conference to be held in Mumbai.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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