Tamil Nadu   

Need for changing attitude towards HIV+ people stressed

TIRUVANNAMALAI: The Publicity Office, Vellore, and ‘Sadayanodai Ilaignar Narpani Manram’ , Tiruvannamalai, organised a programme on the occasion of World AIDS Day near Gandhi statue at Theradi Street junction here on Friday. About 500 people and 500 members of women self-help groups participated in it.

They paid homage to those who had died owing to AIDS and expressed support to people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus and AIDS . AIDS patients are not criminals, V. Balakrishnan, Superintendent of Police, Tiruvannamalai district, said. “They are human beings having all rights like us. We have to change our mindset towards the AIDS patients and the HIV positive people.”

Mr. Balakrishnan said that those who gathered at the function were paying homage to 21 lakh people who died owing to AIDS this year and expressing support to the patients, which was an act of humanitarianism. All participants should take steps to stop AIDS-related deaths next year.

Mr. Balakrishnan said it was a pity to know that 3.3 lakh children below 15 years of age died owing to AIDS last year. If women SHGs admit HIV-positive women into their groups, it would set an example to society. This help was not for an individual but to future society. Each participant should help at least one HIV-positive person, he said.

S. Narayanan, Assistant General Manager, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, Tiruvannamalai, said that banks would give priority to HIV-positive SHG members in providing loans and arranging for subsidy to SHG members if the groups admit HIV-positive women in their teams. Sugumar of the District TB Centre spoke about co-infection of tuberculosis and HIV.

T. Sivakumar, Field Publicity Officer, Vellore, said that there were 760 integrated testing and counselling centres and 26 anti-retroviral therapy centres in Tamil Nadu. A total of 25,000 patients were getting anti-retroviral therapy this year. Earlier, all the participants took a pledge that they would offer support to AIDS patients and HIV-positive persons.

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