news details |
|
|
| NGOs, medical experts concern over rise in AIDS orphans | | Apprehend creation of new class of untouchable in social set up | |
Jammu May 9
An increase in the number of AIDS-related deaths is pressurizing the NGOs and peers groups to worry about the future of the many orphan as it is creating a new class of untouchables in social set up.
Despite an increase in AIDS awareness campaigns in the country there are concerns about a generation of parentless children growing up in state and across India. This was brought to light during an event organized to observe World AIDS Orphan Day on May 7 by FXB India Sureksha J&K Chapter.
The speakers on this occasion pointed out that the plight of children, who have lost their parents to HIV/AIDS in state and across the nation is going virtually unnoticed, and that children are being shunned by society and their families and many in the families where none is to take care of elders-have been forced into menial labour in order to fend their families.
“We are seeing an exponential rise in the number of children who have no mother and father because of AIDS. The stigma of the disease means that children from affected families are sometimes denied an education, sometimes pushed onto the streets. Even orphanages find reasons not to take them in,” Sanket, state head, FXB India (J&K) said. He said his NGO has identified 135 AIDS orphans scattered in Kathua, Hiranagar, Satwari and Akhnoor and has offered financial assistance and psychological support to the victims.
Although there is no government data available in the state for the number of children affected by AIDS, experts say that hundreds of children under the age of 15 have lost one or both parents to the disease, he said.
It is to mention that the report has mentioned that concerned funding agencies for the projects meant for HIV/AIDS victims had also warned that AIDS may be killing off the human resources of the future as it has taken a toll of the majority of the migrant labourer and working classes.
Ravi Sethi, president, Jammu Adhikaar Morcha another NGO working for the AIDS victims recalled that many have been left abandoned on the mercy of elders with other relatives shunning their responsibilities.
Irony of the problems is that what will be the fate of these children if anything happens to their aged care takers, he said and questioned if state government has any plan for these special orphans as orphanages too have rejected to house them.
“The HIV/AIDS also is making the victims as a new class of untouchables, said Dr Meena Sharma and pointed out”, despite the claims of the generating awareness among people the society is still glued to old conventional taboos and myths.
Many survey reports appeared time to time have also indicated that approximately 0.9% of the national adult population has been registered as HIV-positive, thus it has become a trouble shooter for the national economy and human resources, she stated.
“Though financial assistance from international and national agencies but we need to scale up and accelerate the programmes to deal with all this before it too and too…late, she emphatically asserted. At present, “we had opportunity to reverse the epidemic through mass awareness and if we do not do it now the chance will not be available in the near future-as opportunity knocks once,” she added.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
