Positive community in Darjeeling, West Bengal.

[Guest guest]

Dear Moderator,

The Shanker Foundation represents the positive community and we want to present

concerns as well as the work going on on HIV/AIDS in Darjeeling.

Background:

The Darjeeling Hills are a highly vulnerable area with regards to HIV/AIDS. The

lack of opportunities in the region leading to high migration, floating sex

worker population and awareness focused in only the urban areas are cross

cutting factors resulting in the vulnerability.

Darjeeling, the northern-most district of West Bengal, is the only Hill district

in the State of West Bengal. The hill-sub division, with a total population of

693,793 people, including 533,413 living in the rural areas and 160,380 in the

urban areas, lacks basic infrastructure, such as communication facilities,

hospitals and higher educational institutions. Darjeeling’s development needs

and concerns have never been properly articulated. The implementation of

development programs formulated has been done without taking into consideration

the socio-ecological uniqueness of the Darjeeling Hills.

In 1996, under the impetus of the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO),

Darjeeling, the Darjeeling AIDS Control Centre (DACC) was established with a few

NGOs and Societies working under it. The region’s only VCCTC started functioning

from April 2002. To date, 2480 persons have undergone testing, of which 116 were

found to be HIV positive (31st May 2007 VCCTC report). However, experts are

skeptical about the accuracy of present data to extrapolate for the entire

hills, stating that the actual figure is far more startling.

They point to several compelling factors to support their opinion:

Very few people opt for testing due to lack of awareness and fear of a social

scrutiny. Moreover, although blood donations are screened, donors are not

notified of their HIV status.

Awareness programs only cater to the urban populace and lack a strong connection

to the rural populace of Darjeeling.

The VCCTC is located in the urban areas with limited access and to the rural

population

The poor economy of the region and massive unemployment has given rise to a

large migrant labourer population and sex workers.

High risk groups such as drivers, army men, migrant porters, flying sex workers

and labourers, leaving and coming into Darjeeling, have limited access to

HIV/AIDS awareness programs.

Most institutions do not impart sex education to pupils, let alone HIV/AIDS

awareness

Shanker Foundation Darjeeling Network of Positive People

The Shanker Foundation Darjeeling Network of Positive People is a forum

addressing the concerns of people living with HIV in the Darjeeling Hills. It is

registered under the West Bengal Societies Act. It is part of the Bengal Network

of Positive People and the Indian Network of Positive People.

It believes and promotes the dignity and right to life of persons living with

the disease. It provides care and support to Positive People. The foundation

also undertakes community awareness programmes.

Shanker Foundation DjNP + was formed in 2005 as Shrishti, under the guidance of

Kripa AIDS Cell, an arm of Kripa Foundation.

The social stigma and discrimination attached to HIV/AIDS has made it extremely

difficult for Shanker Foundation to come out in the open. The foundation has

members from all walks of life: mothers, young adults, children…the list is

endless and increasing rapidly. The disease is yet to be accepted due to lack of

awareness. Increasing number of women and children living with HIV is adding

challenges to the Network. Due to their positive status, women and children

living with HIV are further marginalized in a society which already marginalizes

this vulnerable group.

The foundation has been reaching out to other people with HIV/AIDS with very

little means of support. The challenge of constant care and support of the

increasing number of people living with the disease is a daunting task. The

majority of members, fall below the poverty line and need nutritive food,

medical support and shelter. Societal support for a dignified life is needed.

The issues and concerns of Shanker Foundation DjNP + are:

Societal stigma and discrimination

Insufficient supportive medical environment:

Personnel:

Insufficient trained and sensitive Doctors, Nurses and other hospital staff

Lack of trained Extension Health Workers – both rural and urban

Insufficient trained and sensitive staff at the Voluntary Confidential

Counseling and Testing Centre (VCCTC) and Prevention of Parent to Child Transfer

Centre (PPCTC)

Infrastructure:

Insufficient VCCTC and PPCTC with all necessary facilities to cover at-least all

subdivisions headquarters

No Outdoor facilities

Insufficient supportive and sensitive space in Government Hospitals

Ambulance facilities

Only one Voluntary Counseling and Testing Centre in Darjeeling Sadar Hospital

making it extremely difficult for rural communities and people from the other

subdivisions to access it

Lack of proper Prevention of Parent to Child Transfer Centre

Access to CD 4 count Test which can be only be done in the nearest Teaching

Hospital, which for us is the North Bengal Medical College, Siliguri. This is

free for the BPL but the journey back and forth is very challenging for people

of the hills

Access to anti retro viral therapy is only given by the North Bengal Medical

College, Siliguri which is a life long treatment making it difficult for members

to access it.

Access to Opportunistic infections treatment

Nutrition support to members of the Network

Shanker Foundation DjNP+

Loch Nagar, Below Divya Vani,

Darjeeling 734 101. West Bengal.

Phone: 98320 87288 / 9832560340 / 9832543517

Email: shankerfoundation@..., na_shanker2006@...

Tashi Sherpa

e-mail: <tashi5_sherpa2003@...>