World AIDS Orphans Day - ‘Need for greater awareness on AIDS’

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World AIDS Orphans Day. ‘Need for greater awareness on AIDS’

Arun Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 7

“There is greater need for creating awareness among people about AIDS as a

majority of the people in the country still shy away from discussing it. Just

like in other countries, we have to mobilise our media to broadcast special

awareness campaigns on the issue,” said A.J. Philip, senior associate editor of

The Tribune, while addressing a gathering during a function on World AIDS

Orphans Day held here today.

The function was organised by the Chandigarh network of People Living with HIV

AIDS (PLHA) and FXB India Suraksha (Chandigarh) at International Hostel, Sector

15.

Every 15 seconds, a child loses a parent to AIDS and according to UNAIDS, some

15 million children below 18 have lost one or both parents to AIDS in the world.

Describing the plight of AIDS patients in the country, Philip said even in

Kerala, the state with the highest literacy rate in the country, there was a

ruckus when a newspaper reported the first case of AIDS in the state.

“The family of the poor victim was ostracised by society. Since this happened in

the most educated state of the country, the plight of people living in other

parts of the country, where literacy and awareness levels are low, is not

difficult to imagine,” he said.

He pointed out that in countries like South Africa, mass media like radio and

television played a major role in creating awareness about this dreadful

disease. “A number of programmes are aired throughout the day, at frequent

intervals,” he added.

On this occasion, some HIV positive persons, accompanied by their children, were

also present. They expressed apprehensions about the future of their children.

“I have two children and one of them has been found to be HIV positive. The

diagnosis for the other child is awaited. Being HIV positive myself, I know it

is a matter of time when I will succumb to the disease. But my prime concern is

how my children would be looked after after I die,” said a city resident, while

narrating her plight to the gathering.

Similar was the view of a vegetable vendor who said he came to know seven years

ago that he, his wife and their son were victims of HIV.

“A total of 135 couples and their children with AIDS from the city and

surrounding areas were on our follow up,” said Pooja Thakur, president of the

PLHA.

Navendu Jha, project coordinator of the PLHA, said a care home was needed for

HIV positive and HIV negative children of AIDS patients. A list of 28 children

was already submitted to Pawan Bansal, MP from Chandigarh, for his

consideration, he added.

Umesh Jai Prakash, Chandigarh coordinator of FXB India Suraksha, however,

expressed apprehension over creating care homes for these children as it could

result in their stigmatising. He suggested that an awareness campaign was the

only way to tackle the problem.

___________

An HIV positive child cuts a cake at International Hostel, Sector 15,

Chandigarh, on World AIDS Orphans Day on Monday. Tribune photo:

Pradeep Tewari

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070508/cth3.htm#1