Kerala Health Minister Veena George has warned that HIV cases among the State’s youth are rising at an alarming rate, demanding urgent awareness and prevention.
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Health Minister Veena George has urged the State’s youth to exercise extreme caution and adopt healthy lifestyle practices as HIV cases among young people are rising at an alarming rate, according to the latest data from the Kerala AIDS Control Society (KSACS).
Speaking at the National Youth Day inauguration, the Minister said the share of new HIV infections in the 15–24 age group rose from 9% in 2022 to 14.2% in 2024, and further to 15.4% between April and October 2025, highlighting an increasing vulnerability among youth.
Although Kerala remains a low HIV prevalence State, with adult HIV prevalence at 0.07% compared with the national rate of 0.20%, rising mobility, migration and travel have heightened the risk of transmission.
From 2022 to October 2025, Kerala reported 4,477 new HIV cases, of which 3,393 were men, 1,065 women and 19 transgender individuals.
The Minister stressed the need to intensify HIV awareness, prevention campaigns and early testing, particularly among high-risk groups. She said timely antiretroviral therapy (ART) can suppress viral load to undetectable levels, making transmission effectively zero while allowing individuals to live healthy lives.
Kerala continues to focus on HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care, while encouraging youth to champion healthy living through better nutrition, exercise, self-care and adequate sleep, she added.
Published: 13 Jan 2026, 09:24 am IST
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