COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore Network for positive people has put forward a demand to the district administration to include at least one person living with HIV/AIDS in each of the Government committees.

In a district level advocacy programme held in Coimbatore recently, the members of the network discussed issues with representatives of the Government departments. Stigma is the most prominent among them. Pension, medical facilities and availability of loans were the other problems discussed. Currently, only the AIDS advisory committee has included people living with HIV/AIDS, says Somesh Kumar, President of the Network.

The programme was also attended by members from the Indian Red Cross Society, Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society, Government Ant-Retroviral Therapy centres, Codissia and Red Ribbon Clubs from educational institutions. "The problems faced by the community of people living with the disease have to be brought into the public domain," Mr. Somesh says. This is possible only if they are represented at the Governmental level.

If the industry, education and healthcare sectors work together in creating awareness about sensitive handling of the issues related to HIV/AIDS, life could be made easier for them, he adds. More than 150 people living with HIV/AIDS from Coimbatore and the Nilgiris districts attended.

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