Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam   

A positive approach to help HIV-infected

G.V. Prasada Sarma

The Society of Visakha Network of Positive members tries to give courage to HIV-infected

VISAKHAPATNAM: "Let the infection end with us," and "We will not spread the infection" are the two zealous motives that keep the Society of Visakha Network of Positive members (SVNP Plus) go ahead with its work.

Bringing together the HIV/AIDS-infected people from the city, districts and neighbouring districts into its fold, it endeavours to give them courage through counselling. "The important thing is to make them feel that they were not alone since the fact they have the infection pushes them into depression and terrible loneliness," says J. Srinivasa Rao, president of the network, who is also the District Network Officer. It can be controlled by taking medicines, nutritional diet and exercises.

Shaky beginning

The network had an abortive beginning in 2004. A year later it was launched in June, 2005. It has put in place the structure to work among HIV positive people in tandem with the Government and NGOs. The number enrolled in the network grew from 60 a year ago to 1,015 now. Of them, 570 are men, 430 women and 15 children. The network has a social worker, a counsellor and a treatment education officer and ten peer trainee educators. They work in coordination with the Anti Retroviral Treatment Centre at the KGH and also go for counselling at the doorstep of HIV-infected.

"During the recent AASHA programme, we have gone to villages openly to campaign about HIV/AIDS," he says. However, this has made difficult providing them help through Government programmes because of their identification.

Mr. Rao has been working with his team among HIV positive persons in Access and Care Treatment (ACT) project. SVNP is a part of India Network for Positive People (INP Plus) and gets support from Telugu Network for People with HIV/AIDS (TNP Plus) and AP State AIDS Control Society.

Most of the infected come from poor or middle class backgrounds. There are several areas in which people are confused. "The areas to focus are medicines and their side effects," he says. People who are in advanced stages must take anti retroviral drugs. However, they may suffer from side effects of drugs and give up. This should not happen.

Caution

Also, the positive people should guard against infecting spouses. He cautions the affected persons to approach Government organisations like the ART Centre at KGH, the District Leprosy Officer who is the nodal officer for AIDS control in the district or organisations like Sadhana or PSI for help and treatment. Counselling and leading a disciplined life in the early stages will delay slipping into more serious stages.

"Sometimes, the drugs prescribed by some practitioners are increasing immunity to a high level making patients complacent and stop treatment. But treatment is becoming difficult after a relapse," notes Mr. Rao.

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