AIDS in Himachal Pradesh and Election

[Guest guest]

dear all,

Please find below an article posted by rediff.com, which I thought is of

interest to you all. http://www.rediff.com/election/2003/feb/23hp.htm

with best wishes

Brahma Prakash. L

E-mail: <lraji@...>

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Pankaj Upadhyaya in Hamirpur | February 23, 2003 19:59 IST

As Himachal Pradesh prepares to elect a new government on February 26, no

political party is talking about the AIDS tinderbox that the state is sitting

on.

While official figures put the number of HIV +ve cases in the state since 1992

-- when the first case was unearthed -- at 500, experts believe the number is

much, much higher.

" For every case detected, there are several hundred that go unreported, " said an

AIDS worker requesting anonymity.

Not many connected with the AIDS programme in Himachal Pradesh are willing to go

on record. Most of them do not have any definitive figures.

All 'official' records are confidential and maintained only at the IGMC, Shimla.

While Hamirpur district has reported the highest number of HIV +ve cases -- 108

-- in Himachal, Dr Vajpayee insists these figures are misleading.

" The first case in the state was detected in Seongta village in Hamirpur

district. Ever since the focus has been on Hamirpur. Tests were carried out in

several villages in the district leading to unearthing of more cases. Other

districts remained smug in the belief that it was not their problem. Now, they

have woken up to reality, " he said.

" It may be true that because of fewer employment opportunities in Hamirpur, more

people from this district migrating to Mumbai and Delhi in search of work. "

" These people stay away from their families for long periods, often working as

truck and taxi drivers, which qualifies them as a high-risk group. "

" But this is no longer specific to Hamirpur. People from all parts of the state

are migrating to the plains in search of employment, " he said.

" Records say Lahaul Spiti has not reported a single case of HIV. I do not buy

this argument. The main reason no cases are reported is because people there

have their own traditional methods of treatment, " Dr Vajpayee said.

Other districts doing just as badly as yours may be some consolation, but it

does not help solve the problem. What could have helped -- Chief Minister Prem

Kumar Dhumal's personal interest -- is missing.

Hamirpur is Dhumal's home district, but his Bharatiya Janata Party's campaign

does not even mention AIDS.

The campaigning in the state is more about a sex scandal in distant Gujarat

allegedly involving some Punjab ministers, which have nothing to do with the

problems facing the state and its people.

" This is politics and I am not qualified to talk politics. But it is clear that

the political leadership in the state has not understood the gravity of the

problem, " said a doctor in Shimla.

" I am not sure if even people like you and me -- educated people -- realised how

serious this problem is? Did you get an HIV test done before you got married? I

did not. "

There are other problems too. Considering the sensitivity of the cases, doctors

are not allowed to track the behaviour of a carrier. They are not even allowed

to inform the carrier about his/her own HIV status till he or she so desires and

puts it in writing.

Things are improving though. The state government is now setting up voluntary

counseling and testing centres (VCTCs) all across the state. There is also a

proposal to establish a tele-counseling network to cover every part of the

state.

However, these efforts have had limited impact.

A doctor in Shimla said: " VCTCs are not doing much work and the tele-counseling

numbers have become a favourite of pranksters. "