Jammu Kashmir Has Lost 1,668 Lives to AIDS in 28 Years, Over 4,100 Patients Still on Treatment | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: In 28 years, Jammu and Kashmir has lost 1668 people to AIDS, according to new data shared on World AIDS Day, even as over 4,100 patients remain alive and on treatment under the Care, Support and Treatment (CST) system of the Jammu and Kashmir AIDS Control Society (JKACS).

Figures presented at an event in Srinagar show that since the inception of JKSACS, 7,126 people living with HIV (PLHIV) have been registered for care in the Union Territory. Of them, 1,668 have died, marking a sustained loss spread over nearly three decades. Another 401 individuals are listed as “lost to follow-up”, a category that public health experts warn may include silent deaths or untreated cases. Only 4,139 patients are currently alive and on antiretroviral therapy (ART) across the UT.

These numbers were shared at a World AIDS Day programme held at the auditorium of Government Medical College Srinagar, which the government said was organised by the Department of Community Medicine in collaboration with JK AIDS Control Society to highlight this year’s global theme: “Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response.”

Prof Iqbal Pandit of the Department of Community Medicine delivered the keynote address, framing the day as a reminder of the long years of struggle, stigma, and structural gaps that still shape the HIV landscape in Jammu and Kashmir.

GMC Principal and Dean, Prof Iffat Hassan Shah, inaugurated the event, and the government said she emphasised the need for wider awareness among all stakeholders while acknowledging the efforts of the Community Medicine department in sustaining HIV outreach and education.

Imtiyaz Khan, Assistant Director at JKACS, presented the overall scenario of HIV and AIDS in Jammu and Kashmir. He outlined the steps the government has said it has taken to strengthen prevention, testing, and treatment services, even as the cumulative death toll continues to underline the scale of the challenge.

The event featured a series of talks by specialists, including Dr Irfan Ali from General Medicine, Prof Samina Sultana from Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Dr Inamul Haq from Community Medicine, Danish Zahoor from Microbiology, and Dr Muzaffar Rasool Bhat from Periodontics at Government Dental College, Srinagar.

A health-education skit and a poster competition were also held for GMC Srinagar medical students. Nashwa Anjum secured first place in the poster category, followed by Rumaan Rafiq Mir in second place, and Aisha Aijaz, Priyanshi Raina, and Luqman Javed in third. The jury comprised Prof Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, HOD Anatomy; Prof Rehana Tabassum from Pharmacology; and Dr Sheikh Bilal Ahmed, HOD Pathology.

The organising secretary for the event was Malik Waseem Raja from Community Medicine. Certificates and mementoes were distributed by the organising chairperson Prof Iqbal Pandit, to participants, performers, the poster winners, and members of the organising team, including Dr Rifat, Dr Iram Sabah, Dr Shifana, and Dr Nida Sultan. Dr Waseem Raja delivered the vote of thanks at the valedictory function.

But even as the formalities concluded, the most sobering message remained the cumulative loss of 1,668 lives to AIDS in Jammu and Kashmir, a reminder that the fight against the virus continues well beyond symbolic observances.