Plight of AIDS patients along the Indo-Myanmar border

[Guest guest]

Plight of AIDS patients along the Indo-Myanmar border

Bit Irom

Imphal, January 19: 2004: The tentacle of the killer AIDS is

spreading at New Somtal and Molcham villages sandwiched between India-

Myanmar in Manipur's Chandel district. These villages have literally

become the breeding ground for the dreaded AIDS. The nearest medical

store for these villagers is located at Moreh, the last border town

in Manipur which could be reached after walking a good 80 kms on road

inside Myanmar or has to come down to the capital city Imphal on a

three day long journey on foot and bus to get better treatment for

patients' ailment. In these villages there is no rehabilitation

centre, state official sources said.

Invading the lives of the simple villagers along the porous border,

Onthang Haokip, a senior citizen of New Somtal has told an official

medical team that so far four persons have succumbed to this dreaded

disease while unspecific numbers are suspectedly carrying the killer

virus. Grandfather of 5-year old Thanglam, who has been infected with

AIDS, recounted his ordeal in bringing up the child whose father too

had succumbed to the killer disease. He stated that the villagers

came to know about AIDS very lately. He has lamented that the cries

of the State Government and Manipur AIDS Control Society (MACS) for

prevention of AIDS and its control measures stating the villagers in

that areas do not reach the remote border village. At least four

persons including a woman have died of suspected AIDS cases. There

might be many others who have already been infected with the killer

virus, he feared, and drew the immediate attention of the authorities

concerned into the matter for taking up appropriate and preventive

measures before the situation gets out of control.

Official reports here said that when the medical team reached Molcham

village on January 12, the plight of the villagers there was found to

be no better than their counterparts of New Somtal. The villagers

highlighted numerous health related problems which have become part

of their lives in the hope that it would be communicated to the

authorities concerned. Apart from administering oral polio vaccine

drops to children of five years and below to prevent them from the

scourge of polio, the medical team led by Dr. H also treated

and gave medical advice to the New Somtal and Molcham villagers, who

turned up in large number. The medicines worth Rs 20,000 carried by

the medical team were found to be too little for them.

AIDS has emerged as a serious public health emergency in Manipur. The

first case of HIV positive case in Manipur was reported in 1990. The

latest MACS record shows 370 death cases and 2,600 AIDS cases. There

are many unreported cases and it would be around 3000 and 7000-8000

respectively. The blood samples show a sero-positive rate of 156.77

per thousand blood samples against the national figure of 40.63.

Manipur, with 0.2% of national population is contributing nearly 8%

of India's HIV positive cases. Though initially, HIV/AIDS epidemic

were confined to the Injecting Drug Users (IUDs), now it has spread

to female sex partners and their children.

Presently, the North east is facing the twin problem of drug abuse

and AIDS. The proximity of the NE states to the " Golden Triangle "

world's most heroin refinery area comprising of Laos, Thailand and

Myanmar, where more than 250 metric tons of heroin is produced every

year, makes this region the most vulnerable part of the country.

Manipur has become an easy and soft route for international illegal

drug trafficking and in the process has also become one of the " user

states " . Drug production and illegal drug trafficking are often

associated with the trafficking in women.

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