Stir against routing funds for HIV+ kids through GP

Members of the association said the Department of Women and Child Development, which was implementing the scheme, had released the funds through Village Health and Sanitation Committees and gram panchayats (GPs), which identified the beneficiaries.

The scheme would help these children by footing their bills on nutrition, shelter, medical, travel and education materials.

However, the Sanghatane did not approve the funds being channelled through the GPs as the confidentiality of people living with HIV/AIDS would be in jeopardy.

"Who will take responsibility if the people living with HIV and their children face stigma, discrimination, social boycott and other human rights violations as a result of revealing their HIV status to the GP members? Is the government trying to help children affected/infected by HIV or trying to kill them or violating their human rights," asked a Sanghatane member.

They demanded that the scheme be stopped immediately. They said that consultation with HIV-positive people and groups was the way out. Another issue the Sanghatane raised was that of access to nutritious food.

While adults needed 10 to 30 per cent of nutritional content, children required 50 to 100 per cent, based on the disease progression. People living with HIV (PLHIV) have to spend a significant part of their income on medication. Hence, they are not able to consume enough nutritious food.

However, nothing has been done to help them in this regard, the protestors said.
The third demand was that non-judgmental medication should be provided for PLHIV in government hospitals.

“We regularly come across news about deaths of HIV-positive women during childbirth as government hospitals refuse to conduct deliveries. Medical kits required for HIV-positive women during delivery are not available in most hospitals. PLHIV are forced to spend a lot of money for medicines and diagnosis,” the members said.