The numbers are big, the message is even bigger—the figures speak, but they leave questions.
The Haryana government’s testing of over 1.24 million people for HIV and identification of 5,877 positive cases in the financial year 2025–26 appears, at first glance, to be a testament to the proactiveness of the public health system, administrative will, and policy-level seriousness. Screening on such a large scale is neither simple nor easy for any state. It requires financial resources, trained manpower, institutional infrastructure, and continuous monitoring. From this perspective, this achievement reflects the capabilities and priorities of Haryana’s health system.
This initiative also signals that the state has moved beyond the old, narrow perspective of seeing HIV as a widespread public health challenge confined to “limited communities” or “marginalized groups.” However, these same statistics, when read more deeply, also offer a stark warning that the social, economic, and behavioural roots of the infection remain strong. The question is not how many people were tested, but how effectively the causes of infection were addressed.
The operation of 104 Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres (ICTCs) and 24 Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) centres in the state indicates that efforts are being made to link patients to a continuous treatment regimen after diagnosis. The regular treatment of over 40,000 people makes it clear that the policy is not limited to mere announcements and paper plans. For a disease like HIV, which requires long-term and lifelong management, continuity of treatment is as important as early detection. Haryana appears to be relatively strong on this front, which could serve as a lesson for many other states.
The most positive and far-reaching impact of this campaign is reflected in the large-scale screening of pregnant women. Screening over 565,000 pregnant women and identifying 613 positive cases demonstrates that preventing mother-to-child transmission is being given serious priority. Medical science has demonstrated that if an HIV-infected pregnant woman receives timely treatment and counselling, the newborn can be almost completely protected from infection. This is not only a medical breakthrough but also a question of social justice, as an HIV-free infant does not face the stigma and discrimination that still limit the lives of infected children.
The ₹2,250 per month financial assistance scheme, implemented since December 2021—under which ₹54.3 crore has been distributed so far—signals that the state government is not viewing the disease solely as a medical problem. People living with HIV are often deprived of employment, social acceptance, and economic stability. The social fear and discrimination associated with the disease also limits livelihood opportunities. This financial assistance is an effort to maintain basic dignity in life along with treatment, even if the amount appears inadequate in current economic conditions.
Nevertheless, a positivity rate of 0.47 percent compared to total testing should not be taken lightly. Public health experts have long recognized that HIV cases are often underreported. Social stigma, fear, concerns about privacy, and a lack of information prevent a large number of people from voluntary testing. Therefore, the 5,877 cases reported likely represent only a small portion of the problem, not the full picture. This rate also points to social factors in the state that contribute to the spread of the infection—such as increasing drug abuse, unsafe sexual practices, rapid urbanization, and the unstable living conditions of migrant workers.
Sex workers, truck drivers, construction workers, and drug addicts remain at the highest risk in the transmission chain. Targeted projects and opioid substitution centres are undoubtedly steps in the right direction, but their reach and impact remain limited. Limiting addiction to treatment or drug distribution alone will not suffice. HIV control will remain incomplete unless it is combined with social rehabilitation, employment opportunities, and mental health support.
The biggest and most invisible obstacle in this fight remains stigma. People fear society’s reaction more than the disease itself. HIV is still associated with morality, character, and “fault,” even though it is a medical condition. This mindset prevents people from getting tested, delays treatment, and allows the infection to spread silently. Red Ribbon Clubs, radio jingles, and social media campaigns have raised awareness, but the message has yet to reach rural areas and traditional social structures with sufficient force.
It would be a major strategic mistake to consider HIV control solely the responsibility of the Health Department. Safe migration, worker welfare, drug de-addiction, gender equality, and scientific sex education—all of these issues are directly linked to this problem. Providing testing, counselling, and treatment at the workplace for migrant workers can not only control the infection but also increase their productivity and social security. Without coordination with the departments of transport, labour, education, and women and child development, no effort can yield lasting results.
States play a crucial role in achieving India’s goal of “AIDS-free.” Resource-rich and administratively capable states like Haryana, if they adopt a balanced approach to implementing the strategies set by the National AIDS Control Organization at the grassroots level, will not only achieve statistical success but could also emerge as policy models.
Ultimately, Haryana’s HIV testing campaign is undoubtedly a major achievement. It has proven that large-scale public health interventions are possible with political will and administrative commitment. But this success will only be complete if the warnings associated with it are heeded seriously. If the state succeeds in breaking the stigma, prioritizing prevention over treatment, and sincerely addressing the social causes of infection, today’s figures will become tomorrow’s success story. Otherwise, these same figures will remain an early sign of a much larger and deeper crisis to come.
