HIV preying on productive age group of Goa

[Guest guest]

HIV preying on productive age group of Goa Source: The Navhind Times, Panaji - Goa Thursday,

September 25, 2008 NT NETWORK PANAJI- The Development Commissioner and health secretary, Mr Anand Prakash on

Wednesday said that HIV infections in Goa are rapidly spreading in the productive age group of 15-49 years, and the state as well as the families of those contracted with AIDS are at the losing end. Stressing on the need to plan a state-level strategy for countering the HIV/AIDS menace, Mr Prakash said the National AIDS Control Organisation has already come out with guidelines for tackling the disease, but Goa has its own problems and they should be taken into consideration while formulating the state-level

strategy. He also informed that the free drugs supplied to the HIV/AIDS patients by the government, efforts to erase the stigma attached to the disease and the regular funds received from NACO, are collectively fighting against the life-threatening disease. An advocacy meeting with enterprises titled Prevention of HIV/ AIDS in the world of work, held in the city and inaugurated by Mr Prakash also came out with the information that Goa has a concentrated HIV epidemic and the state further carries all factors which fuel HIV infections. Drawing parallels between African countries where tourism has been worst affected by HIV/ AIDS

and Goa, the experts attending the meeting informed that Goa too has a flourishing tourism industry and faces a threat perception as regards the dreaded disease. However, AIDS is still in early stages in Goa and effective responses are possible now they observed stressing on the need to strengthen work place response in Goa. The statistics provided on the occasion maintained that four out of five HIV/ AIDS cases detected in Goa belong to the age

group 15-49 years. It was also stressed that initiating workplace interventions in the hospitality sector would go a long way in arresting spread of HIV. The event organised by the Goa State AIDS Control Society, International Labour Organisation and the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry was also attended by the director of health services, Dr Rajnanda Desai, the project director of the GSACS, Dr Pradeep Padwal and the technical specialist as well as the national project co-ordinator of the ILO, Dr S Mohammad

Afsar. Dr Padwal in his presentation said the total number of HIV cases detected in Goa from the year 1987 to July 2008 have just crossed the 10,000 mark, while total AIDS cases reported during the same period will soon cross 1,000 mark. It was also informed that the reported deaths in Goa from AIDS are 485. The presentation maintained that the estimated number of people living in Goa with HIV/ AIDS is 12,000 and said the disease is more common in males than females, with out of every three cases detected, two being males. Dr Afsar in his presentation said that there is a need to scale up intervention in the hospitality sector to control the disease. Stressing on the need to scale up enterprise based approach for HIV/AIDS workplace prevention education, he informed that under the third phase of the national AIDS programme, more focused

effort to workplace is likely to happen under mainstream. It was also informed that workplace HIV/AIDS policy formulation has been followed by some companies in Goa like Kingfisher, Salgaonkar Group of Companies, D-Link, Marmugao Port Trust and Zuari Group of industries, based on the ILO code of practice on HIV/AIDS. Dr Desai in her speech observed that workers/ labourers in industrial units form major population. Initially, they displayed reluctance to attend HIV/AIDS workshops, but later started attending the same, she stated, pointing out that in case of workers/labourers infected with HIV, working on individual level is as important as compliance with the treatment. The GCCI vice-president, Mr Manguirish Pai Raikar proposed the vote of thanks, while Ms Asha Vernekar compered. Regards In Solidarity Jaffer Inamdar Positive Lives Foundation (PLF-GOA) 4th Floor, Ganga Apartments, Near. Municipality, Opp. St.

Jerome Chapel, Feira-Alto, Mapusa, Bardez, Goa . Pin: 403507. India . Tel : +91 – 832 – 2252810 / Mobile : +91 - 9371186773 Email: plf@... / plfgoa@...