Kerala Village Panchayat: A role model for HIV care

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum

I am attaching a story published by New Indian Express (NIE) regarding an

initiative taken by Thrikkunnappuzha Panchayat, in Kerala towards the care for

PLHIV. This story is taken by NIE from the best practice documentation mailer

sent by our Best Practice Documentation Unit (BPDU).

This is the third story taken by NIE from our BPDU mails. Mr G Rajiv is the

reporter who did the story.

This method tells us more about the possibility of finding stories from the

field and regularly informing various TGs for further dissemination

Thanks Mr Rajiv

Regards

Ajai

Ajai Kerala SACS

e-mail: <ajai.ksacs@...>

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Thrikkunnappuzha panchayat becomes a role model

*By G Rajiv

06 Nov 2010 08:00:40 AM IST*

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At a time when the social stigma haunts the HIV

positive patients in the state, a grama panchayat in the remote area of

Alappuzha district has become a role model by providing care and support to the

HIV-infected, without infringing their privacy.

Thrikkunnappuzha, a village in Alappuzha district, has set an example for other

local-self governments in the state by successfully implementing the Nutrition

Support Project for the HIV-infected without the fear of revealing the identity

of the affected person and the possibility of stigma and discrimination by the

community.

In this grama panchayat, the HIV-infected persons are treated on par with others

in receiving the several social and welfare schemes, without any stigma or

discrimination.

This year, the Thrikkunnappuzha grama panchayat had spent Rs 35,000 for

providing nutritious food for the HIV-infected in this region.

Though the project amount is meagre, its unique implementation process

ensures accessibility to all the infected without revealing their identity to

anyone in the panchayat.

According to a study conducted by the Kerala State AIDS Control Society (KSACS),

apart from the social stigma, a self-stigma among the HIV positive are

compelling them to hide their HIV status owing to the fear of being

discriminated.

It is estimated that there are 55,167 HIV positives in the state.

However, three-fourths of them are still invisible to the public health care

system.

Though many grama panchayats in the state sanctioned funds for the nutrition

support and education support for the HIV-infected and their families, many of

them failed to get the required results due to lack of planning.

At Thrikkunnappuzha, the project implementation allows none of the elected

panchayat members or other officials, except the implementing officer, to meet

or interact with the beneficiaries of the project.

Since the implementing officer is the medical officer attached to the

hospitals of this region and they are from other parts of the state, none in the

panchayat will come to know who the beneficiaries of the project are.

With the support of Prathyasa Kendram implemented by the KSACS in this grama

panchayat, the implementing officer distributes the nutrition kits to the

beneficiaries every month.

The name and address of the beneficiaries are never registered here and instead

the ART (anti-retroviral treatment) numbers given to these patients are quoted

in all the communication.

Authorities here feel that this will certainly reduce the nvisibility of the

infected from the public health care system.

It is also expected that more people who are fearful of the social and

self-stigma would come forward seeking help from such initiatives.

http://expressbuzz.com/topic/thrikkunnappuzha-panchayat-becomes-a-role-model/220\

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