Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): State records an estimated health burden of over 70,000 people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Districts identified for focused intervention and screening by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) include Bhopal, Jabalpur, Sheopur, Ashoknagar, Guna, Narsinghpur and Shivpuri as high-risk zones.
The state’s overall adult prevalence rate stands at 0.10%, with injecting drug user prevalence surging to 4.2%.
In Madhya Pradesh, public health departments, alongside university and nursing networks, are utilising the #RethinkRebuildRise movement to host localised street plays (Nukkad Natak), free testing camps and awareness seminars. Free community-based screening and targeted interventions for high-risk populations are executed through the Madhya Pradesh State AIDS Control Society (MPSACS).
World AIDS Vaccine Day, also known as HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, is observed annually on May 18 to highlight the urgent need for a vaccine to prevent HIV/AIDS.
The global rallying cry for HIV and AIDS initiatives on May 18 is Rethink. Rebuild. Rise. This shared call to action is used by the International AIDS Society to build momentum for ongoing research and a globally united health narrative.
The targeted intervention and link worker scheme projects of the Central government are executed through non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and community-based organisations (CBOs), engaged by State AIDS Control Societies (SACS) through the social contracting mechanism under the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP).
These prevention initiatives target specific high-risk groups such as female sex workers, men who have sex with men, hijra/transgender persons, people who inject drugs, migrants and truckers.
Years People with HIV Deaths
2020 40,844 1006
2021 42,916 998
2022 46,277 820
2023 50,491 1082
2024 54,343 720
Data based on government reply in Rajya Sabha regarding HIV cases in MP (February 2026)
