# Mortality among HIV-Positive and HIV-Negative People Who Inject Drugs in Mizoram, Northeast India: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study (2007–2021)

## TL;DR

This study shows that deaths among drug users in Mizoram, India, have dropped significantly for both HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals between 2007 and 2021.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into mortality trends and risk factors among HIV-positive and HIV-negative people who inject drugs in Mizoram.

## Key findings

- Mortality among HIV-negative people who inject drugs dropped by 59% from 2007 to 2021.
- HIV-positive people who inject drugs saw a 41% decline in mortality during the same period.
- Needle sharing and being unmarried were significant risk factors for mortality among HIV-negative individuals.

## Abstract

Background: HIV and drug overdose continue to be the leading causes of death among people who inject drugs (PWID). Mizoram, a small state in the northeast of India, has the highest prevalence of HIV in India and a high HIV prevalence among PWID. Objective: To estimate the mortality among HIV-positive and HIV-negative PWID and to describe its associated factors. Methods: Cross-sectional datasets from the 2007–2021 Mizoram State AIDS Control Society (MSACS) data comprising 14626 PWID were analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the factors associated with mortality among HIV-negative and HIV-positive PWID after adjusting for potential confounding factors. Results: Mortality among HIV-negative PWID declined by 59% between 2007 and 2021. The mortality rate among HIV-positive PWID also declined by 41% between 2007 and 2021. The multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that being divorced/separated/widowed (AOR = 1.41, 95% CI 1.03–1.94) remained positively associated with mortality among HIV-positive PWID. Mortality among HIV-negative PWID remained positively associated with ages of 24–34 years (AOR = 1.54, 95% CI 1.29–1.84) and above 35 years (AOR = 2.08, 95% CI 1.52–2.86), being divorced/separated/widowed (AOR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.02–1.61), and the sharing of needles/syringes (AOR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.34–2.00). Mortality among HIV-negative PWID was negatively associated with being married (AOR = 0.72, 95% CI 0.57–0.90), being employed (AOR = 0.77, 95% CI 0.64–0.94), and having a monthly income. Conclusions: The mortality rate among HIV-negative and HIV-positive PWID declined significantly between 2007 and 2021 in Mizoram. To further reduce mortality among PWID, interventions should target those sharing needles/syringes, those above 24 years of age, and unmarried participants.