[procaare] Networking Needed to Remove HIV Patients' Stigma in India

["ProCAARE" <procaare@healthnet.org>]

Networking needed to remove HIV patients' stigma: experts
new Kerala.com New Delhi, May 20
****************

Awareness programmes are not enough to combat discrimination 
against HIV/AIDS patients, and more networking is necessary among 
all stake holders - the HIV/AIDS affected, health workers, NGOS and 
government agencies, said experts at a conference here Tuesday.

Networking, not just among the HIV population and other stake 
holders, but also with the panchayat (village excecutive), the 
police and rights-based groups is necessary, it was concluded at a 
conference on challenges of reducing HIV-related stigma.

"Knowledge about what HIV/AIDS is or how is it spread doesn't 
necessarily ensure that attitude towards a HIV-positive person 
changes," Samiran Panda, vice-president of Sparsha, a voluntayr 
organisation working on HIV related issues in West Bengal, said at 
the conference.

"Stigma against HIV/AIDS is so deep-rooted that stand-alone 
programmes don't really work. They may help in prevention up to a 
certain extent, but stigma against HIV makes people scared to come 
out in the open about their problems and get help," Panda added.

Luke Samson, executive director of Sharan, another NGO, said that 
stigma and discrimination don't just divide HIV and non-HIV 
sections but is also prevalent among the HIV community.

"Even within the HIV community, if you are a sex worker or an 
Injecting Drug User (IDU), then you will be discriminated against 
and will be in the bottom heap to get a medical attention and 
care," said Samson, who works extensively with IDUs.

Samson said that since most IDUs suffer from tuberculosis or some 
other disease like Hepatitis, integrated treatment is required for 
them.

The sex workers are another vulnerable community.

But instead of talking only about the challenges that they face, 
Bharti Dey, a former sex worker, talked about the various steps 
that her community in West Bengal have taken up for their own 
betterment.

"I am the programme director of the Durbar Mahila Samanvaya 
Committee (DMSC) as a part of which we have established 33 
self-regulatory boards in 33 red light areas in Durbar," Dey said.

"These boards ensure that no minor is forced into this profession. 
We distribute condoms, have opened schools for children of the sex 
workers and hold regular meetings and workshops to ensure that none 
of the sex workers' rights, as an individual, are violated," she 
said.

Speakers also pointed out that many a time projects are carried out 
in accordance with the resources available, which in the long run 
fails to meet the objective of the programme.

"Projects must be planned in such a way that the effect of a 
project stays on with the community.a donor might have a stipulated 
time period for a project but one must take care to revisit the 
community time and again with the same message so that the ultimate 
aim is fulfilled," Panda said.

The conference came to an end with Tisha Wheeler, senior programme 
officer of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, saying that 
donors, like them, ought to be led by people who do the ground work 
so that challenges can be identified and projects implemented 
accordingly.
--- IANS

Online: http://www.newkerala.com/one.php?action=fullnews&id=62570