More than
spreading knowledge about AIDS, what is necessary is perhaps to create a
society that accepts HIV-positive people as normal fellow humans.
Back in the
1980s, while watching television, you would come out of your house and move the
antenna pole to get the best signal. You would turn the pole around and ask: Aaya? or Hua? (Is the picture clear?), and somebody from inside the house
would shout yes or no.
Today, we can watch different channels with a
remote control in our hands without worrying about the antenna giving up on us.
This is development.
It was
also back in the ‘80s that the entire world was surprised by a new finding -
the emergence of the HIV among human beings. And since then, the human race is
trying find out the panacea for it. Occasionally, it is rumoured that medicine
against AIDS has been invented, but the increasing number of the HIV positive
people flies in the face of such bogus claims. HIV/AIDS is spreading its
tentacles globally.
Arunachal Pradesh is no exception, either. The
number of HIV/AIDS infected people in the state is increasing alarmingly. The
official record says Papum Pare leads followed by Lohit.
The first AIDS case in Arunachal was detected
in Anini in 1998. The person was infected through blood transfusion. Various
steps have been taken so far to check it from spreading in the state.
In this regard,
Arunachal Pradesh State Aids Control Society (APSACS) is rendering its yeoman service
in the sate in creating awareness among the mass against the HIV/AIDS. APSACS funded
seminars and workshops are held every now and then at different schools,
colleges and other institutions in the state. Every district medical officer is
asked to carry out the task according to their convenience.
APSACS aims to cover the entire state in
creating awareness against HIV/AIDS. The campaign on Integrated Counseling and
Testing Centre (ICTC), aimed at drawing people towards ICTC for information on
HIV/AIDS, has started showing positive results.
The taboo regarding HIV/AIDS, however, is
still the same as it was before. When people talk about HIV/AIDS, the first
impression that comes to the mind is Sex.
No doubt sex
plays the major role in spreading the AIDS virus. But there are many other
reasons which the people are not aware of. The impression of sex being the only
reason must be removed from the minds of the people.”
Whether the
names of HIV-positives should be made public or not, many are in favour while
many others are clearly not in favour of the idea.
Many argue, if
it happens, the sky will fall upon them and their lives would become like hell.
They would be deserted by their own parents and relatives. Nobody would accept
them. The patients would get nothing but hatred from every corner of the
society. So the names of the patients have been kept confidential.
But who can be sure whether or not they might
be spreading it to others out of frustration and anguish? The greatest hurdle anyway is that nobody
wants to be tested for AIDS. Also, in most cases, doctors cannot find out
whether the patients are locals or non-locals, since they know about it through
the blood samples received through donation.
No doubt there is ignorance about AIDS but, so
far the state has succeeded to make people aware about it to some extent.
APSACS, on its part, is trying its best to check it. Besides this, other
organizations and NGOs must lend their hands to fight against the menace of
AIDS.
The student community has the most important
role to play in preventing it as they can teach and talk to their parents and
illiterate friends openly and frankly about AIDS. The people must be convinced
that AIDS doesn’t spread if we sit with patients, touch them or share meals
with them.
Programmes like Haath Se Haath Mila and movies like Phir Milenge and My Brother
Nikhil could be screened by the state government and other organizations to
make the common people aware and informed about the syndrome.
Yumrin Nokma of Arunachal, who has been an HIV positive for
the last few years and is open now, when he knew that he was infected with the virus his world
had broken into pieces. However today, he is living happily because of the
cooperation he gets from the society and now he works for creating awareness
among the mass and advises them not the repeat the mistake which he did years back.
That, perhaps,
is the key: an understanding society. For
it may take time to make the earth free from AIDS - if not today, tomorrow; and
if not tomorrow, the day after - but certainly a cure will be invented because,
as Napoleon said: “The word impossible is found only in the dictionary of the
fools.”
And human beings
are no fools.
