It's been more than three decades since HIV burst on the social scene, and the nineties witnessed a lot of mobilization and action on the part of state governments, NGOs and global funding agencies to address the grave social and economic consequences that the virus caused. No other epidemic or disease, not even cholera, pox or plague (with the exception of that new entrant named Ebola) has generated the amount of fear, prejudice, discrimination, social fragmentation, economic loss and violence than HIV and AIDS.
Thirty years on, there is still no cure, no vaccine, but at least medical research has provided us with medication and an antiretroviral therapy regime that can prolong life and protect babies born from mothers with HIV from carrying the deadly virus. Safeguards and screening of blood and blood-products have made the chances of getting HIV slimmer, but these procedures have made medical care costlier for everyone.
Global funding agencies have begun winding down their support, as new emergencies and emerging issues demand more attention. Governments too, have grown weary of maintaining special departments just to deal with this one 'disease'. Still every year, consistently, more and more people, particularly youngsters and those from the migratory working classes, contract the virus, and deaths continue to take place.
In Bihar, several thousand women have been directly or indirectly affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Women and children in families that have been infected or affected by HIV face discrimination, social stigma and neglect. Over the past year, as a result of directives and guidance from the Patna high court, the Bihar government announced certain relief measures for people living with HIV and AIDS.
Every year civil society and organizations of Patna together with the families and friends of those lost to AIDS come together for an evening to light candles in their memory and to keep the light shining on HIV. On Sunday, some 300 of Patna's citizens are expected to participate in the event at 5pm at St. Xavier's School near Gandhi Maidan. They will also honour some of those who have worked selflessly and made a difference for the people affected with HIV.
These 'Citizens of Humanity' have been nominated by the HIV-AIDS community: Doctors Z A Haque, Bipin Kumar Singh, John Mukhopadhyay, lawyer Vikas Kumar Pankaj, and Outreach worker Rita Kumari who have provided support, selfless service and help to many, especially the poor among people living with HIV.
The organizers are a network of community-based organizations working in the field of advocacy, care and support for HIV positive people. Through this annual event, they express solidarity, sympathy and affirmation for those families and children left orphaned by AIDS, and remind us that it is only through knowledge and behaviour change that we can reach the goal
of zero infections from HIV by 2020.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Keeping-the-light-on-HIV-this-Sunday/articleshow/45161866.cms
Thirty years on, there is still no cure, no vaccine, but at least medical research has provided us with medication and an antiretroviral therapy regime that can prolong life and protect babies born from mothers with HIV from carrying the deadly virus. Safeguards and screening of blood and blood-products have made the chances of getting HIV slimmer, but these procedures have made medical care costlier for everyone.
Global funding agencies have begun winding down their support, as new emergencies and emerging issues demand more attention. Governments too, have grown weary of maintaining special departments just to deal with this one 'disease'. Still every year, consistently, more and more people, particularly youngsters and those from the migratory working classes, contract the virus, and deaths continue to take place.
In Bihar, several thousand women have been directly or indirectly affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Women and children in families that have been infected or affected by HIV face discrimination, social stigma and neglect. Over the past year, as a result of directives and guidance from the Patna high court, the Bihar government announced certain relief measures for people living with HIV and AIDS.
Every year civil society and organizations of Patna together with the families and friends of those lost to AIDS come together for an evening to light candles in their memory and to keep the light shining on HIV. On Sunday, some 300 of Patna's citizens are expected to participate in the event at 5pm at St. Xavier's School near Gandhi Maidan. They will also honour some of those who have worked selflessly and made a difference for the people affected with HIV.
These 'Citizens of Humanity' have been nominated by the HIV-AIDS community: Doctors Z A Haque, Bipin Kumar Singh, John Mukhopadhyay, lawyer Vikas Kumar Pankaj, and Outreach worker Rita Kumari who have provided support, selfless service and help to many, especially the poor among people living with HIV.
The organizers are a network of community-based organizations working in the field of advocacy, care and support for HIV positive people. Through this annual event, they express solidarity, sympathy and affirmation for those families and children left orphaned by AIDS, and remind us that it is only through knowledge and behaviour change that we can reach the goal
of zero infections from HIV by 2020.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Keeping-the-light-on-HIV-this-Sunday/articleshow/45161866.cms
