“With an aim of providing social security to HIV/AIDS infected persons, they are entitled to get a free house under Rajiv Gandhi Housing Scheme,” said District Health Officer Dr H Jaganath.
Inaugurating the advocacy programme held at St Aloysius College auditorium organised by Hongirana Network for Positive People and St Aloysius College BSW department on Wednesday, Dr Jaganath said that in the district about 18 HIV positive persons have applied for a house under the scheme.
He said that many of the HIV positive people have been stigmatised and subjected to injustice only because they are HIV positive.
“The social stigma has been attached to this disease because it gets transmitted by unsafe sex and there is no cure to this disease. Sexual activities are the natural instinct in every living being, which cannot be stopped. Hence the only way to protect ourselves from HIV/AIDS is to adopt protective measures,” he said.
He said that HIV tests are being conducted even at the Primary Health Centres, taluk and district centres for the convenience of the people. Some years ago Anti Retrieval Tablets (ART) were dear to the HIV infected. But today ART are being distributed free of cost in all the district hospitals.
Karnataka Positive Network president Kumar said that they have a target of distributing ART to one lakh HIV positive people by 2008. At present he said that they have reached about 55,000 positive people.
He said that there is lack of awareness among the people about the availability of ART free of cost at health centres.
Delivering the presidential address, St Aloysius College Principal Fr Swebert D’Silva said that AIDS is the biggest catastrophe that could ever hit the mankind. “It is like a tsunami. It starts off silently then the huge wave wash off everything,” he said and added: “HIV positive people too have equal rights to lead a normal dignified life and hence it is everyone’s responsibility to make them feel that they are a part of this society.”
Hongirana
The programme was collaboratively organised by Hongirana Network of Positive People which is a non government organisation and comprises of positive people and works for the positive people.
Addressing the gathering, Hongirana president Seema Mathias said that the main aim of the organisation is to provide care and support to the positive people to help them lead a normal, fearless life. The organisations also undertakes interaction with school and college students to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS, provides information about health care, facilities available for the HIV infected.