Published Feb 06, 2026 | 11:44 AM ⚊ Updated Feb 06, 2026 | 11:44 AM
A total of 85 children in the State is living with HIV.
Synopsis: Kerala has 17,808 people receiving Antiretroviral Therapy for HIV. This group included 9,966 men, 7,714 women and 43 transgender persons. A total of 85 (43 boys and 42 girls) children, too, are living with the virus.
On National Youth Day 2026, Health Minister Veena George warned that HIV infections among young people are rising at a worrying pace in Kerala.
Citing Kerala State AIDS Control Society (KSACS) data, she said the share of new HIV cases in the 15–24 age group increased from 9% in 2022 to 14.2% in 2024 and further to 15.4% between April and October 2025 — a clear sign that the State’s youth are becoming more vulnerable.
Though Kerala remains a low-prevalence State, with adult HIV prevalence at 0.07% against the national average of 0.20%, increased mobility, migration and travel are raising the risk of transmission.
Between 2022 and October 2025, the State recorded 4,477 new HIV cases — 3,393 among men, 1,065 among women and 19 among transgender persons.
The minister called for stronger awareness drives, prevention measures and early testing, especially among high-risk groups. She underlined that timely antiretroviral therapy (ART) can reduce the virus to undetectable levels, preventing further transmission and allowing patients to live healthy lives.
To understand the depth of the crisis, South First examined HIV/AIDS control efforts in Kerala and found another troubling possibility: along with youth, children, too, may soon become the innocent victims of HIV infection if urgent action is not taken.
Dr Peeyush M, Project Director and Appellate Authority of the KSACS, provided more information in response to an RTI application filed by South First.
The reply stated that 17,808 people in Kerala were presently receiving Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) for HIV.
This group included 9,966 men, 7,714 women and 43 transgender persons.
The figures also indicated that HIV affected children as well. A total of 85 (43 boys and 42 girls) children in the State were living with the virus.
In May 2025, the Kerala government informed the High Court that it approved financial assistance for the father of a nine-year-old girl, who had allegedly contracted HIV through a blood transfusion at the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), Thiruvananthapuram, and died in 2018.
The decision followed a petition by the child’s father, who sought support to cope with the psychological and financial impact of her prolonged illness and death.
The girl, who underwent multiple transfusions while being treated for suspected leukaemia, was reportedly HIV-negative when treatment began.
Her family later claimed that the infection was acquired during hospital care. While RCC denied any procedural lapses and maintained that HIV was not the cause of death, the case underscored the vulnerability of children to HIV through medical exposure and drew attention to the long-term consequences for affected families.
Dr Yamini Thankachy, Deputy Director for CST (Care, Support, and Treatment) and STI (Sexually Transmitted Infections), told South First that children were the most innocent victims of HIV.
She said that Kerala was leading the country in paediatric HIV care, largely because the majority of deliveries were hospital-based. Children born to HIV-positive mothers were carefully monitored from birth, and their HIV status was confirmed only around 18 months.
”A negative result shows that not every HIV-positive mother transmits the virus to her child Dr Thankachy said.
Children were being given tailored dosages of antiretroviral treatment (ART) until they turned 18, after which adult doses were administered. Currently, Kerala has 20 HIV-positive pregnant women under care.
Alarmingly, 60% of them were migrant labourers, posing a challenge for follow-up since many lacked permanent addresses and moved frequently.
”Over the past two years, we haven’t recorded any new paediatric cases. But we fear a rise in the coming years due to difficulties in tracking migrant families, Dr Thankachy said.
She noted that migrants came mainly from Assam, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and northeastern states. ”Earlier, only men from these communities migrated, but now entire families are moving, which increases risk for women and, consequently, children,” she added.
Dr Thankachy also said that the youngest person diagnosed with HIV in Kerala in 2026 was aged 16.
”The new generation is aware of the risks of sexual behaviour. Due to multiple partners and live-in relationships, many are coming forward for tests, even though overall walk-ins at centres are still low. People above 40, however, often hesitate to get tested because they don’t show symptoms, which can lead to diagnosis at the third or fourth stage. Even those with a single partner who test positive need crucial psychological support throughout treatment,” she said.
”When we talk about the rise in HIV, we must also consider that screening has increased. HIV surveillance is done every two years to observe patterns and follow up on sexually transmitted diseases. Kerala recorded an HIV prevalence of 0.06% in 2021, the lowest in the country. Data from 2023, published in 2024, shows a slight rise to 0.07%, reflecting new cases.”
”HIV is only one among sexually transmitted diseases. There are also syphilis, gonorrhea, and viral infections like herpes and HPV (Human papillomavirus). The 0.01% increase indicates a rise in new cases, and we are actively working on surveillance and providing support.” she added.
Kerala has only seven Care and Support Centres (CSCs) for people living with HIV. These centres are based in Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Thrissur (MCH), Palakkad, Kozhikode and Kasaragod.
Under the HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Act, 2017, all medical colleges in India are required to run Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) centres. In Kerala, every medical college has an ART facility. At present, the State has 15 ART centres managed by the government and six operated by private institutions, some with the support of non-governmental organisations.
CSCs act as a support arm of ART centres by providing counselling, psychosocial care and long-term follow-up, especially for women, children and other vulnerable groups.
However, the absence of CSCs in districts such as Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Ernakulam, Malappuram, Wayanad and Kannur has raised concerns about how patients in these areas can access regular follow-up and emotional support — and whether they can continue treatment uninterrupted.
This means that half of the districts in the state have no CSCs at all, forcing patients to travel long distances to access counselling, follow-up services and social support.
Speaking to South First Beena (name changed to protect identity), a person living with HIV from Ernakulam, said the lack of a CSC in Ernakulam district makes accessing support difficult.
”Since there is no CSC in Ernakulam, I have to rely on centres in nearby districts like Kottayam or Thrissur whenever I need support like psychological counselling. For help with welfare schemes and nutrition programmes too, having a CSC in one’s own district would be much easier. Travelling to another district is costly and often physically exhausting” she said.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
