Himachal Pradesh: Candle light to dispel myths and remove darkness of ignorance

[Guest guest]

Candle light to dispel myths and remove darkness of ignorance

First step to protect women and children from HIV.

Supervisors to train health and ICDS staff on PPTCT.

From Darkness to light- was the theme of the awareness procession in the small

hill town of Palampur, the western himalayan State of Himachal Pradesh, India.

The rally was flagged off by the Chief Medical Officer, Dr A. K. Mahajan from

Indo German Hall Palampur and concluded at bus stand in the form of a red ribbon

shape, which signified commitment to the fight against HIV.

Mashaal Rally attracted wide community participation and over

600 working women, anganwari workers, health workers, Tibetan women, women

lawyers and students from CSKHPKV Palampur and ITI Palampur participated in the

silent event. This is the first ever candle light day in the state on the event

of International Womens Day. Prior to this, artistes form the Nitika Kala

Sangam, Sirmour, gave a entertaining and captivating performance on various

aspects of HIV transmission and prevention at the Indo German Hall.

The event was conducted in the evening to protect women livelihood

concerns, as most of the rural womenfolk are employed under NAREGA.

Moreover special care was taken to ensure that women do not injure their hands

with molten candle wax while carrying the candles, by providing special plates

to base the candle. As the festival season of Holi mela coincides with the

event, people in the market from 40 km radius come to visit the festival, and

the message of empowerment went across to locals.

Dr RK Sood Project Officer, AIDS Kangra, addressing the gathering on the event

told that March is being observed as month for awareness about parent to child

transmission of HIV.

Over 1000 children under 15 are infected newly everyday with HIV globally, the

most significant source of HIV infection in

infants and children under the age of 15 years is transmission of HIV from

mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding.

The PPTCT programme aims to prevent the perinatal transmission of HIV from an

HIV infected pregnant mother to her newborn baby. Women will be encouraged to

know their status at the nearest Integrated counselling and testing Centre-

ICTC. If positve they can take measures to protect the unborn child.

In India, as per report of Joint Technical Mission on PPTCT (2006), there are 27

million pregnancies annually out of which nearly 189,000 occur in HIV positive

women leading to an estimated annual cohort of 56,700 infected babies.

Fortunately, Parent-to-Child Transmission can be prevented with a combination of

low-cost, short-term preventive drug treatment, safe delivery practices,

counselling and support, and safe infant-feeding methods.

The availability and use of short course Anti-Retro Viral prophylaxis in the

form of a safe and well tolerated single dose regimen for mother and child

during labour and delivery, made an effective PPTCT possible.

However, demand genration and awareness for the PPTCT service is essential as

below 10 percent pregnant women are utilising the service. This rally and month

long campign is a first step in this direction.

The slogan for the campaign is: Pregnant women- get yourself tested for HIV

before you bring a new life into the world.

A training workshop for 45 Feemale Health Supervisors from across the

district was also conducted on 8th March 2009, to sensitise them and these will

in turn train female health workers and female health supervisors, which will

futher raise awareness and gneerate demand for services through a snowballing/

cascading effect.

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Dr RK Sood

e-mail: drrksood@...

+91 9418064077, +91 9445157327