'Treat HIV victims as equals'

Inaugurating an awareness programme on HIV/Aids organised by Labour department in collaboration with Population Service International on Tuesday, he said that Indian culture and lifestyle is very superior where women are revered and looked upon as sisters or mothers or as daughters.

“If every individual decides to be faithful to his/her spouse and upholds this Indian culture, HIV/Aids can be controlled,” Dr Bhandary said.

He said that HIV+ people are often stigmatised by society. “HIV+ people are also as normal as any others. Hence they should be treated as equals,” he said. Zilla Panchayat CEO P Shivshankar said that migrating population (drivers, workers) have been identified as the High Risk Groups in the district. “There is a need to spread awareness on the same among the target groups through comprehensive awareness programmes,” the CEO said.

Later, delivering a talk on ‘stigma and discrimination-People living with HIV,’ PSI Connect Systems Strengthening Manager G S Gopal said that the infection is found most in people in age group of 14 to 49 years, which is considered as the working population. Gopal playing a clipping of HIV+ people speaking of their experience of being stigmatised, said that common man has a very scary picture of HIV/Aids but the fact is that even HIV+ people can lead a normal live for many years.

Karnataka Bulding and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board Chief Executive Officer Gurudas M Bhat presided over the programme.