KK Abraham, president of Indian Network of Positive People (INP+) feels HIV virus is steadily spreading every year, contrary to government claims that the epidemic is plateauing. He spoke, at length, on stigma faced by HIV positive people across the country and other related topics in an e-mail interview with Nivedita Mishra of HindustanTimes.com.
Since 1986 when the first Indian AIDS case was identified in Chennai, how rapidly has the epidemic spread in the country?
With the detection of the first case in India in 1986 and the initiation of National AIDS Control Programme under National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) the number of people being infected by the HIV virus is steadily increasing every year. This steady increase in the epidemic is a direct proof of the failure of the interventions for the last 17 years.
According to our experience with the networks of people living with HIV/AIDS, membership organization working in the grass root level we can see and experience the trend that HIV/AIDS is growing rapidly. Although the government data shows that it is slowing down, the reality states otherwise. It is also now a myth that the epidemic is still concentrated in certain populations. That is not so as it is generalized to all sections of the societies and populations now.
What kind of stigma does an AIDS patient face? Has the situation changed over the decade?
The list of the various kinds of stigma and discrimination faced by PLHA is endless. You can see it, read about everyday. PLHA thrown out of jobs, families disown them, community's abuse them and some have been murdered and burnt alive, even stoned to death. Hospitals refuse admissions, operations...that list just keeps going on in every level of human existence. I can see some changes in the urban cities but in the rural areas the situation is much worse. This change has not been automatic but has taken great efforts from the PLHA community by making ourself visible and demanding our rights. We are concentrating on forming district level networks for increased visibility. This the only way of personalizing the issue, an attempt to reduce the stigma and discrimination.
What kind of stigma does an AIDS patient face? Has the situation changed over the decade?
The list of the various kinds of stigma and discrimination faced by PLHA is endless. You can see it, read about everyday. PLHA thrown out of jobs, families disown them, community's abuse them and some have been murdered and burnt alive, even stoned to death. Hospitals refuse admissions, operations...that list just keeps going on in every level of human existence. I can see some changes in the urban cities but in the rural areas the situation is much worse. This change has not been automatic but has taken great efforts from the PLHA community by making ourself visible and demanding our rights. We are concentrating on forming district level networks for increased visibility. This the only way of personalizing the issue, an attempt to reduce the stigma and discrimination.
Which sections of the society are most affected? Is it relevant, even fair, to say that the professional sex workers and migrant workers the most vulnerable? Has AIDS made inroads into the Indian middle class?
During the early years of the epidemic we do agree that the infection was seen in to certain marginalized populations but now we are certain that it is generalized. We should be clear that the as mentioned that certain populations are most vulnerable, that is not so.