The Hindu : National : Annan gets an insight into plight of AIDS victims

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Thursday, Apr 28, 2005

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National

Annan gets an insight into plight of AIDS victims

Aarti Dhar

A PHOTO AND A DAY TO REMEMBER: Nane Annan, wife of U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, presenting a photograph of her husband to the Delhi Police Commissioner, K.K. Paul, when she visited the Project on Tranning of Police Personnel on HIV-AIDS in New Delhi on Wednesday. — Photo: Shanker Chakravarty

NEW DELHI: "We want to contribute to the society and can also be role models for change," said Celina D'Costa, one of the six representatives of the Indian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS, in an interaction with the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan at the U.N. office here on Wednesday.

It was one of those rare occasions when the "stigmatised" and the "discriminated" — about half-a-dozen HIV/AIDS-infected persons — got a platform to speak out about the problems they encountered in their daily lives and spell out what the Government could do for them.

Ninety-five per cent of the infected people did not want to get tested for fear of stigma and discrimination, if they tested positive.

"And as infected people, we have a responsibility to prevent it," Celina said stressing upon the need to have legislation to prevent discrimination against HIV-positive people.

Lakshmi Bai, secretary of the Dai Welfare Society of Mumbai, a eunuch (trans-sexual), said: "We need different kind of care. It is very difficult for an outsider to work with our community since our needs are specific and our cultural identity is different."

Appealing to the U.N. to fund the community to formulate its own capacity-building programmes, she said the sexual minority, doubly stigmatised, could not receive healthcare facilities and did not figure in any government policies. "We have no choice but trust the Government for providing us medical aid." She sought Mr. Annan's intervention in taking up their cause at the national and international forum.

A victim

Daxa Patel related the experiences of HIV-infected women who were thrown out by their in-laws after their husband died of the disease. "The woman is just a victim, but she has to face the consequences. Neither the family nor the Government owns her," she said. "It is we, the HIV-positive people, who need to sensitise the healthcare workers and other agencies on the issue."

Mr. Annan said the U.N. had put HIV/AIDS on its list of priorities and tried to focus global attention on the issue. "It is not always easy because of the stigma attached to it but leaders have to speak out against it. We need to work with Governments to ensure that victims get low cost medicine and they carry on with their lives."

The Union Health and Family Minister, Anbumani Ramadoss, said the Government was in the process of drafting legislation to prevent discrimination against HIV/AIDS victims.

The Bill would be placed in Parliament by yearend.

Describing HIV/AIDS patients as part of the society, E. Ramchandar, who has been infected for several years now, said they could be part of the solution to prevent infections.

L. Gangte drew Mr. Annan's attention towards the gap in demand and availability of medicines for the patients.

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