Puri, Nov 30: Puri district continues to report a steady rise in HIV/AIDS cases, with 1,053 registered patients as of November 2025. Of them, 689 are male, 312 female, 24 transgender individuals, and 28 children.

Within the district, 353 patients are from Puri municipality, followed by 138 in Puri Sadar, 111 in Brahmagiri, 96 in Gop, 62 in Satyabadi, 27 in Astaranga, 47 in Delang, 52 in Kanas, 32 in Kakatpur, 9 in Krushnaprasad, 44 in Nimapada, and 12 in Pipili. Another 49 patients are from other districts, and 21 are from other states.

Health officials said 746 patients remain under active ART (Antiretroviral Therapy) care, while many others are not following up regularly, raising concerns over treatment adherence. Since monitoring began, 160 patients have died, 53 have migrated, and 38 have opted out of the programme.

Local voluntary organisations working on HIV prevention say the actual number of cases could be higher due to gaps in data on sex workers and tourists. Puri, being a major tourism hub, sees heavy footfall year-round, especially around festivals and beach tourism.

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Siddharth Ray, an outreach worker with The Bell Organisation, said rising tourism has contributed to an increase in sex work. “It’s a common phenomenon that sex work increases with tourism. With rising footfalls in Puri, the amount of sex work has soared, and many transgender persons and sex workers are coming here. There are many massage parlours and hotels allowing sex work, which leads to an increased number of AIDS patients in the district. We have to remember that AIDS is a pandemic. Authorities must take it seriously,” he said.