Positive People Association formed in Uttaranchal

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum

Positive People Association was formally formed with the efforts of Patients

suffering from HIV/AIDS, Gaurav Dwivedi Social Worker & Counselor with the

support of State Aids Control Society as it was found that the patients

suffering with the HIV/AIDS virus needed a common platform to make there voice

heard so they can get better medical care & fight against prevailing Stigma in

the Society. Various sections of the society welcomed this new step towards

better care & advocacy for the affected patients & pledged their support for the

cause.

Main aims of Positive People Association are

To establish care Centers for the people suffering with HIV/AIDS as well as for

the children of the patients who has succumbed to the Disease & to help them to

lead a health & normal life.

To help & motivate the High risk groups & other people through Counseling for

conducting HIV.AIDS test for the infection.

Refer & provide guidance to the patients affected with HIV/AIDS for their

medical care & treatment of opportunistic diseases.

To provide complete follow-up care & symptomatic treatment of the disease with

the help & support of Govt Hospitals/Healthcare centers & with support of

Uttaranchal Aids Control Society.

Lobbying, Advocacy & Campaigning activities for the cause & Rights of Positive

People.

Educating & creating awareness amongst general Public, particularly amongst,

High Risk Groups, Youth & Women about HIV/AIDS & to Dispel myths relating to the

disease.

To provide Drop in care facility to help people suffering with HIV/AIDS as well

as for people who need more awareness about the Disease.

To establish care Centers for the people suffering with HIV/AIDS as well as for

the children of the patients who has succumbed to the Disease & to help them to

lead a health & normal life.

One of our patient & Secretary of the Positive People Association represented

our State at a workshop on legal issues on HIV/AIDS on 5th & 6th March by

Lawyers Collective at Vishwa Yuva Kendra Chanakyapuri, Delhi. Near about 65

Positive people both male and female representing different Positive

Organizations and States were present there.

The main Issues Discussed there were as follows

Confidentiality, consent & Discrimination.

Rights of women.

Patient Ordinance.

On 29th March 2005 a workshop was held by Uttaranchal AIDS control Society to

sensitize and involving them in prevention and control of HIV/AIDS.

Positive People Association Uttaranchal participated with its patients. Dr.

Janpangi Project Director Uttaranchal AIDS control Society headed the workshop.

Eight patients from the age group of 2 yrs and above affected by the disease

attended the workshop & were benefited by the sharing there.

Points of Discussion of the workshop were

Stigma & Discrimination.

Care & Support.

ART

Cd 4 cell count facility.

Health Care facilities.

Treatment of opportunistic infection.

Public private partnership.

Problems faced by PLHAs members especially getting medical care & ART.

Youngest Member of Positive People Association getting his CD 4 Cell tested.

Legal issues related to HIV/AIDS affected patients were talked about & also

information about latest ART were told to us, which was very helpful for the

patients & the Organization in helping people affected with HIV/AIDS.

Later the patients got there CD 4 cell tested free of cost provided by the AIDS

control Society.

On 23rd June 2005 Sahara Samay a National News Channel broadcasted a half an

hour Programme on the initiative taken by Gaurav Dwivedi to work for HIV/AIDS

patients the hardships & needs of the HIV/AIDS patients in our State & support

given to them with the help of Positive People association & State AIDS Control

Society.

On 11th & 22nd of August Channel 7 broadcasted news about Positive People

Association, its work among the HIV/AIDS patients in Uttaranchal & first

marriage of HIV/AIDS patients in Uttaranchal.

Needs Of Positive People Association

To establish a Hospice & Care Center for the HIV/AIDS patients who are thrown

out of the families & work places because of the stigma attached to the disease,

so they can lead better life & can get medical care & also can be trained in

Vocational Skills so they can earn there Living & lead a normal life.

To provide ART Medicines for a patient who’s Cd 4 cell count is low & they are

facing health problems.

To provide them with some Vocational Training so they can work & earn there

livelihood as they are turned away from there jobs & have nothing to work for.

One of our success is that Rajinder, Secretary of our Organization & first open

patient in Uttaranchal who talked about his disease openly in the Society to

sensitise others, One of our success is that Rajinder, Secretary of our

Organisation & first open patient in Uttaranchal who talked about his disease

openly in the Society to sensitise others, got married on 13th of August with an

HIV infected girl, there marriage is the first of its kind in North of India.

Recently lots of HIV/AIDS patients faced discrimination by Gov. Hospitals & they

faced problems getting treatment for opportunistic infections, they were turned

out of the Hospitals & were left on there own condition to face there fate, even

the families of the patients affected by HIV/AIDS are not willing to accept them

& they have no place to go & there condition worsen every day as there is no ART

drugs available for them by any Agency in our State. Various news agencies &

esp. Print media helped us to project the sever condition of HIV/AIDS patients

through news papers & even the Gov Officials & State AIDS control Society

Director accepted his helplessness to provide ART to the patients, all the

information was published in national news papers.

The situation of women & Children suffering form the Disease is much worse as

they don’t get any care as they are turned away from there families or are

Orphaned because of the disease & they are not accepted in there families & are

left to wander on the Streets to face there fate.

In past two month 9 patients have succumbed to the disease including women &

children without any care & support from any section of the Society, & even

after there death the Stigma didn’t leave them as no one would even come near

there body & we have to carry in our hands & dig there graves & make there last

rites on our own as people are so afraid to even touch a patients body who have

passed away of HIV/AIDS.

Regards

Gaurav Dwivedi

President

Positive People Association (Uttaranchal)

E-mail: <chayan9@...>