Advocating for greater social acceptance of HIV Positive People

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

HIV/AIDS have struck the mankind since more than two decades now but

then too people have lack of information and misconceptions, stigma &

discriminations regarding attainment and spread of the disease. Thus

incidents such as a HIV positive child been debarred from attending school

in Assam, two other in Kerala, and many such cases like a HIV positive

widow women killed in Dharashna village are taking place. This kind of

incident can be threatening to around 40 to 50 million HIV positive

people living all around the world, thus there is a need that along with

prevention work a lot need to be done to sensitize people regarding

social acceptance of this group.

On February 14,2005, a woman in Dharasana village near Valsad was

murdered, allegedly because she was HIV positive and her relatives were

enraged over her interactions with their children.

In response to this incident and to improve social acceptance of this

people, so that these type of violation of human rights of HIV positive

people doesn’t happen in future, an advocacy meeting was organized in

Dharashna village by Gujarat State Network of People Living With

HIV/AIDS (GSNP+) and supported by Gujarat State Aids Control Society on March

18, 2005.

Around 165 Sarpanchs of the district were invited to join the

meet, along with the villagers, school children, Non Government

organizations working in the area, and Gujarat State Aids Control Societies

officials and District level officers were even invited.

Team of GSNP+, Additional Project Director GSACS Dr DM Saxena,

representatives of several local level NGOs, Civil Surgeons briefed the people

about the basics of HIV and AIDS, the ways HIV is spreaded, stigma and

discrimination prevalent, how to avoid infection, human rights of the

HIV positive people, and the importance of disclosure of status of HIV

positive person in the society and thus provide a supportive social

environment. To sensitize them several positive people shared their

experience that how they are living healthily, happily and productively

because of the supportive environment in their society.

The deceased women father Haribhai Patel also appealed that such type

of incidents should not happen with any other people. The assailants

claimed that they had beaten up Sumitra after they found her biting one of

his children but Haribhai Patel cleared that she had bitted them only

to protect herself when they were beating her.

The queries of the people regarding HIV/AIDS were even solved and the

response was quite positive among the people. The Sarpanchs requested

the Additional Project Director of GSACS and President GSNP+ to organize

such advocacy meets in each and every village so that people do not

discriminate HIV positive people due to lack of knowledge and fear of

getting HIV.

We appeal to the funding organizations and the government, to please

consider these incidences and take measures to create supportive

environment in the society specially in the rural areas.

Regards,

President

Gujarat State Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (GSNP+)

E-mail: <gsnpplus@...>