Live and Let Live: WORLD AIDS DAY CAMPAIGN 2002 2003

[Guest guest]

WORLD AIDS DAY CAMPAIGN 2002 2003

STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION : LIVE AND LET LIVE

Gujarat AIDS Awareness and Prevention (GAP) unit of International Society for

Research and Civilization Diseases (ISRCDE) is a non-governmental organisation

working in the field for last 14 years in Gujarat. GAP is working in the field

of Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS and at the same time extending care and

counselling to the infected and affected people.

World AIDS Day, an UNAIDS programme is commemorated around the globe on 1st

December. It identifies progress made in the mitigation of HIV on its route and

brings into focus the challenges. The World AIDS Day was observed in 1988 and

since then every year it is observed under a new slogan. The campaign slogan for

year 2002-2003 is Stigma and discrimination: Live and Let Live.

GAP is commemorating the World AIDS Day since 1990. This year GAP is bringing

the World AIDS Day programme on 30th November 2002, under the theme Role of

Educational Media in prevention, control and in the fight against stigma and

discrimination at Bhaikaka Hall, Ahmedabad. The GAP NGO partners of district

level shall be observing World AIDS Day in their respective regions till

December 7th , 2002.

Background

Stigma and discrimination , under the slogan Live and Let Live, has been chosen

as the theme for the World AIDS Day campaign in 2002 -2003 by UNAIDS.

Stigma often leads to discrimination and this in turn can become the human

rights violation -for the people living with HIV/AIDS and their families.

Stigma and discrimination fuel the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This hampers the programme

of prevention and care and reinforces the marginalization of People Living

With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and those who are vulnerable. Since HIV/AIDS is linked

with social taboos like sex, drug use and death, there are enormous levels of

ignorance, denial, fear and intolerance about the disease in most communities.

Stigma is linked to power and domination throughout the society. It causes some

groups to be devalued and ashamed ,and others to feel that they are superior.

In the context of HIV/AIDS some examples of discrimination include, hospital

staff denying health services, employees terminating a worker,

families/communities rejecting those living with, or believed to be living with

,HIV/AIDS. Stigma and discrimination can occur within the

family, in the society, in the health service centre and even nationally and

internationally, in respect to visa. Such discriminatory acts, are violation of

human rights.

Another type of discrimination arises through internalization by People Living

With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) of their negative perceptions of themselves and fear in

general with its focus on stigma and discrimination , the world AIDS day

campaign hopes to encourage people to break the silence and the barriers to

effective HIV/AIDS prevention and care.

q What GAP is doing in the field of countering stigma and discrimination?

Dissemination of correct information

Outreach workers are trained to address the issues on stigma and

discrimination

Process in involving more and more People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in the

organisation

A core group of People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) member have been trained

in communication skills,counselling and advocating skills to fight for their

rights

People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are taking part in all training programmes

People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) group encourage other positive people to

shed off fear and fight for the human rights, rights for treatment and better

quality of life, thus enabling them to challenge discrimination

Promoting the professional bodies to adopt codes of conduct

Documenting the life stories of Positive people both in writing and

filming

Encouraging school children, to enacting dramas and inculcating

Compassionate feelings

Demystifying the disease and dispel misinformation, generating empathy to

reduce the stigma and discrimination -the peers (People Living With HIV/AIDS

(PLWHA) ,are in personal relationship with people either thorough face to face

encounter or

through video film or through testimonials.

Advocacy to action : pre and post test counselling,confidentiality and

informed consent for Voluntary Counselling and testing (VCT).

Till date GAP has extended supportive counseling to more than 700 People Living

With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and to many more who are affected.

GAP is in action since 1989.

GAP-ISRCDE

E-mail: <gapad1@...>

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