AIDS: Border Security Force plans to act firmly

[Guest guest]

Faced with rising cases of AIDS among the jawans [soldiers], Indian

Border Security Force plans to act firmly

Kreeit Jotla Aug. 28, 2005

Indian Border Security Force has accepted a grim fact and is ready

to act fast on it. BSF personnel are getting infected with HIV/AIDS

in a considerable number.

According to media sources, Concerned over rising number of HIV

positive and AIDS cases among its personnel, India's Border Security

Force (BSF) has drawn up comprehensive measures, including

a " methodical tie-up " with the UNAIDS, to check spread of the

disease. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) New Delhi

office said they are concerned at the rising number of AIDS/ HIV

positive cases in BSF and decided to establish a Centre of

Excellence on HIV and AIDS.

BSF Director-General R.S. Mooshahary said the force had entered into

an agreement with UNAIDS to effectively manage and fight the

increasing HIV-positive and AIDS cases. " We have entered into an

arrangement of methodical tie-up with UNAIDS to increase preventive

measures, " he told PTI. " Basically, the programme will focus on

increasing the awareness and counselling among the jawans

[soldiers]. "

Asked about the reports of over 70 BSF jawans tested HIV-positive

all over the country, Mooshahary said " the number of affected

personnel is very low comparing to other security forces. " He said

the situation was not " alarming " . Under the partnership agreement,

UNAIDS will assist the BSF with designing and implementing a

comprehensive HIV-prevention programme among the BSF ranks.

The programme will include awareness-raising initiatives, peer

education training and the integration of HIV/AIDS/STI (sexually

transmitted infections)-related topics into the curricula of BSF

training institutes throughout the country. " It will also help

enhance the capacities of BSF health professionals to effectively

manage and deliver high-quality care as well as support efforts to

decrease stigma and discrimination surrounding military personnel

living with HIV, " said Mettine Dve of UNAIDS, New Delhi.

Earlier in April this year, India's Defence Minister Pranab

Mukherjee and director of UNAIDS had announced the signing of

a " partnership agreement " to check increasing cases of HIV and AIDS

among military personnel. " The BSF is the first paramilitary force

to launch an enhanced awareness of HIV/AIDS prevention programme and

we are trying to educate our jawans against the social stigmas as

they are afraid to sleep with the affected jawans in the same room.

They are even apprehensive of travelling in the same bus and having

food in the same dinning hall with the AIDS/HIV affected personnel, "

Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of BSF Dr N. Mishra said.

He said border areas of Bangladesh, some areas of west Indian state

of Maharastra and the coastal areas of south Indian state Andhra

Pradesh have a high rate of affected personnel comparing to other

parts of the country. A 36-year-old BSF jawan posted at Pulwama in

the north Indian state Jammu and Kashmir reportedly died of AIDS at

SKIMS hospital. According to Mettine Dve, uniformed services are

particularly vulnerable to HIV infection due to a number of factors,

among them the young age of military personnel and lengthy periods

they stay away from home, which can result in the purchasing of sex.

http://www.indiadaily.com/editorial/4404.asp