Drugs, counselling and much more

Positive women from across the country had a no-holds barred discussion with Members of Parliament on the eve of World AIDS Day 2007.

Nearly 40 percent of those who live with HIV/AIDS are women. Social stigma often throws them out of their homes and jobs.

Parliamentarians Oscar Fernandes, Dr. H T Sangliana, S K Kharventhan, Sudarshan Nagchappa, Sathil Kumar, Brahmannand Panda, V P Shukla and UNAIDS members Dr Dennis Broun, and Anand Tiwari had congregated to meet with 45 HIV positive women.

Dr. H T Sangliana speculated that extra marital relations might be driving up the rate of infection among women.

“Women are often blamed for the entry of HIV in the family while in fact the virus is usually passed on to them in the home,” said Sahil, a community leader supported by ActionAid.

Christy Abraham, who leads ActionAid’s work on HIV/AIDS clarified 90% women get infected from their partners. “Since most men do not get themselves tested, more often than not women take the major share of the blame.”

The ‘blame game’ is also not helpful in getting people the care and treatment needed explained campaigners.

Buying expensive drugs

Namita Nanda from Orissa AIDS Solidarity Forum exposed the appalling condition of hospitals in her state. They seldom have sufficient stocks of HIV medicines (Anti Retroviral Treatment), forcing patients to buy expensive drugs from the market. Machines meant for an advanced blood test, (for CD4 count), are also missing.

“Every year, nearly 80% of the budget allocated to Orissa State AIDS Control Society is returned to the central government as unspent funds, but still there is no CD4 machine or ART available in Orissa,” said Namita who is supported by ActionAid’s Fellowship programme.

MP Sudarshan Nagchappa, Director of Public Grievance Cell, suggested activists file a formal complaint against unspent government funds and the lack of CD4 testing machines in hospitals. He promised to take action.

Sathil Kumar, MP from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, assured that second line treatment (for those who have built up immunity to the initial HIV drugs prescribed) will be available in government hospitals soon.

No care at hospitals

Raj Devi revealed that discrimination is rife in the eight hospitals catering to HIV positive people in the capital.

“HIV positive people have to face long queues, their surgeries are rescheduled, sometimes even cancelled, and doctors refuse to conduct gynaecological examinations. In hospitals they are often isolated and their status is disclosed to every attendant and patient in the ward,” said Raj Devi.

Counselling that matters

Counselling centres are also scarce and even there confidentiality is the first casualty. Only a few hospitals have female counsellors.

Mary, an HIV positive woman from Tamil Nadu, revealed that the counselling given at hospitals to a woman who has just come to know of her HIV status is often cursory and de-motivating. “Some even ask pregnant HIV positive women to abort their babies,” she added.

Raj suggested that people living with HIV/AIDS be recruited as psycho social care givers in government hospitals. Parliamentarians hugely appreciated this idea.

“Government is arranging new training and workshops for doctors and health workers to end discriminatory practices. I also urge positive people’s networks to use the Right to Information as a tool to seek redressal for their complaints,” said MP Sathil Kumar.

MP Oscar Fernandez said he was impressed by the way positive women shared their concerns so freely and thanked ActionAid for bringing up these issues at a common forum. “I promise to convey the message to the Prime Minister so that an action plan can be drawn up at the earliest to seek a life with dignity for positive people,” he said.