Himachal to adopt AIDS orphans

November 24, 2007

Himachal to adopt AIDS orphans has decided to raise its HIV orphans,

funding their supply of powdered milk

and tuition.

The Himachal State AIDS Control Society (HPSACS) has announced

provision of free milk powder to the children of HIV infected mothers

for up to one

year. " One such child is already being given the milk powder in

Dharamsala since October. Medical officers have been asked to

identify other children in various districts who could avail of the

scheme, " HPSACS project director, Dr Sulakshana Puri, said.

Breast milk is a common route for transmission of the HIV virus, and

mothers who are HIV positiveshould

stop breastfeeding their children. She told MAIL TODAY that children

of up to three years would be qualified for Rs 300 per month, those

between four

and six years would get Rs 400, seven to nine would get Rs 500, 10 to

12 would get Rs 600 and those between 13 and 15 years would get Rs

700 per month.

The Chandigarh Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (CNP+) feels

that the Punjab government should take an

example from this.

CNP+, which has a total of 350 HIV+ members from Punjab, Haryana and

Chandigarh, has written a letter to the Punjab governor Gen. S. F.

Rodrigues (retd), urging him to start a similar scheme for socio-

economic rehabilitation of the HIV infected.

" Not a single scheme or step has been implemented for socio-economic

empowerment /rehabilitation of HIV affected children and people to safeguard

them against the `Economic Death' in Punjab, " CNP+ president Pooja Thakur said.

" While the state of Rajasthan provides pensions to AIDS widows, no

other state has thought of such schemes for the children of HIV

positive parents so far, " said Dr Avnish Jolly, a social activist.

Over 2,000 people from the low-prevalence states of Punjab, Haryana,

Himachal and the Union Territory of Chandigarh are on anti-retroviral therapy at

the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education

ashok.pradhan@...

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