Sensitization Meeting with MLAs of Gujarat Assembly

[Guest guest]

GSACS and GSNP+ has organized Sensitization Meeting with MLAs of Gujarat

Assembly chaired by Shri Ashokbhai Bhatt, Speaker of Vidhansabha on 25th March

2010 regarding HIV/AIDS mainstreaming & role of MLAs at Gandhinagar.

This meeting was chaired by Mr. Ashokbhai Bhatt, Honorable Speaker of Assembly.

He addressed the participants and said that Gujarat is the first in Voluntary

Blood Donation; the voluntary blood banks tested the voluntarily collected blood

and then given to other needy persons.

Among four reasons of HIV transmissions, unprotected sex is the major reason,

which is not freely discussed and considered taboo.  He informed MLAs that our

culture doesn't accept pre-marital sex, the supreme Court's judgment on this

issue is otherwise.

We need to promote abstention, we need to take leadership in our work area and

need to start working together to fight against HIV/AIDS, and we need to provide

warmth welcome to HIV positive people & their family.

Every year I get Rakhis from sex workers on the occasion of Rakshbanthan. I

ensure that (small group of MLAs will actively contributed to fight against

HIV/AIDS. He also ensured that the Letters will be sent to those MLAs who could

not remain present in this meeting to inform to take the leadership to fight

against HIV/AIDS.

Hon. Health Minister, Shri Jaynarayan Vyas had given information about the

efforts are being made for prevention and control of HIV/AIDS in Gujarat with

the support & Services of State Govt. & National AIDS Control Organization

(NACO), New Delhi.

In this program, the President of GSNP+ Ms. Daxaben Patel focused the status of

medical services presently available for the People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA)

and also sought cooperation from the MLAs of Gujarat to include HIV/AIDS issues

in their agenda and had requested to extend their cooperation to reduce the

stigma & discrimination towards PLHAs in their areas.

She also requested to convey the message to people, so that the PLHAs would be

able to access all the available services for them. A HIV positive child from a

village of Mehsana district had explained about the story of his HIV+ family

which was touched to the hearts of all.

Dr. Pradeep Kumar and other officers of GSACS conclude the meeting with  thanks

giving to all who were present in the meeting and also to Ms. Daxaben and all

the office bearers of GSNP+ for the successful arrangement of this function and

for their sincere efforts towards the mainstreaming of HIV/AIDS.

Kamlesh Meswaniya

e-mail: <kn_meswaniya@...>