| Social stigma, discrimination with HIV/Aids patients unabated | | | Nitesh Sangral
Early Times Report
Jammu, Nov 30: Despite awareness and educative campaigns worth crores of rupees by various government agencies, Social stigma and discrimination against AIDS/ HIV patients has continued unabated in the society and men and women infected by the disease continue to be dismembered from the families and society.
Moreover, the lackadaisical approach of State government, toward HIV/Aids patients' poor financial condition, rubs salt on the wounds as most of these patients do not have enough to afford their treatment. "Some years back, I was diagnosed to have HIV virus despite being faithful to my husband, as I was betrayed by husband, "a female, infected by HIV virus said narrating her story. Later, when her husband died suddenly, the family started discrimination with her that plunged her into depression. "Sometime I wished I had also died because the pain of social stigma and discrimination were too much for me to bear," she sadly narrated, adding NGO taught her to fight and live happily. NGO also gave me employment where she worked with good atmosphere inspiring thousands HIV/Aids patients against the social stigma. "The story of this female is not an isolated story, as many women who are living with HIV/Aids have to go through same ordeal due to the social stigma and discrimination of the family" a spokesman of NGO stated that HIV positive people have been subjected to discrimination from various sections of society. In fact, it's quite common for employees to lose their job and families to be ostracized if their HIV positive status is revealed. "It is pertinent to mention here that HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Bill- 2014 proposes to provide protection against discrimination in employment, healthcare, education, travel and insurance, in both public as well as private sectors. The Bill also proposes imprisonment and fine for those spreading hatred and discrimination against HIV patients", he stated.
"But the HIV-positive people are continuously discriminated against and will not able to lead a normal life until the society accepts them whole-heartedly", he further said adding that there is need to clearly understand various causes of disease. |
|
