Karuna Kumari
Patna/Sitamarhi,12 December : The Bihar State AIDS Control Society (BSACS) has issued a strong rebuttal to recent television and newspaper reports claiming a steep rise in HIV cases in Sitamarhi district, calling the coverage “far from the truth” and “misleading.”
According to BSACS, Sitamarhi’s ICTC (Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre) has been functional since 2005, while the ART (Antiretroviral Therapy) centre began operations in 2012. Since 2005, a cumulative total of around 6,900 HIV-positive individuals have been registered in the district. This figure, officials said, includes patients who have since died, moved away, or are now receiving treatment in other states.
As of now, 4,958 patients are regularly taking ART medication from the Sitamarhi ART centre. Between April and October of the current financial year (2025–26), 200 new HIV cases have been identified—far lower than the “40–60 new cases per month” claimed in some media reports.
Officials emphasised that the daily footfall at the hospital is made up of previously registered patients who visit for routine medication, counselling and follow-ups. “Interpreting these visits as new infections creates a false alarm,” the Society said.
On reports alleging a high number of HIV-positive minors, BSACS clarified that only 188 children have tested positive in the district since 2005—all of them children of HIV-positive parents. These minors are receiving regular treatment and are also covered under a social security support scheme.
The Society formally rejected the claim that the district currently has “around 7,400 patients” and the suggestion that hundreds of new infections are being detected every month. “The information being circulated does not reflect the actual situation and may cause unnecessary panic,” the statement said.
Media reports had quoted a doctor from Sadar Hospital attributing the alleged rise in cases to the district’s large migrant worker population, with many residents employed in metros such as Delhi and Mumbai. BSACS, however, said the portrayal of an “alarming situation” was inaccurate and urged citizens to rely on verified information from official sources.
The department appealed to the public to avoid panic and reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring continuous treatment, counselling and support for all HIV-affected individuals in the district.
