AP tops nation in HIV control, marks sharp turnaround
Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh has emerged as the top-performing state in controlling HIV spread and providing quality healthcare services to affected patients, with the Andhra Pradesh AIDS Control Society (APSACS) securing first place nationally, state health minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav said.
According to the minister, the National AIDS Control Organization (Naco) assessed the performance of AIDS control societies across the country for the April–December period (first nine months) of 2025–26 and ranked Andhra Pradesh first. The state scored 107 out of 141 points (75.9%) across 33 key indicators, outperforming all other states.
He noted that Andhra Pradesh had ranked seventh during the same period in 2024–25 and finished 12th by the end of that financial year, highlighting a significant turnaround in performance.
In 2025–26, the state consistently improved its ranking, securing second place in the first quarter (April–June) and topping the charts in both the second (July–September) and third (October–December) quarters.
The minister attributed this achievement to the planned and focused measures taken by the state government to control HIV cases and ensure quality medical services for patients.
Special emphasis has been placed on conducting HIV testing among prisoners and undertrials in central, district, and sub-jails, where the state achieved 100 percent targets. Regular testing is also being carried out in orphanages, among trafficked women, and in juvenile homes.
APSACS has also shown strong performance in working with 36 NGOs engaged with high-risk groups, managing de-addiction centres for injectable drug users, and strengthening monitoring systems at the district level, said APSACS In-charge project director Ronanki Gopalakrishna.
The state has recorded a significant reduction of 76.9 percent in HIV transmission, far exceeding the national average decline of 48 per cent between 2010 and 2025, the minister added, calling Andhra Pradesh a model for other states to follow.
