PANAJI:
The parent teacher association (PTA) body's refusal to allow admission
to HIV-positive children in a Rivona school has brought into sharp focus
the lack of awareness about HIV/ AIDS among the general population in
the state though Goa state aids control society (GSACS), a nodal
department entrusted with enlightening people about HIV, is active for
over a decade.
While GSACS is given credit for generating awareness about the deadly disease among high-risk groups such as commercial sex workers, truck drivers, motorcycle pilots, the Sanguem incident emphasizes the GSACS' need to also focus on the general population and work towards eliminating stigma attached to HIV AIDS.
Raj Vaidya who works for Positive People, a NGO working for HIV/AIDS, says besides creating awareness, more importantly, GSACS will have to now work towards doing away with stigma, and discrimination that HIV-infected people face.
"A lot of work has to be done," he says indicating that it will be a mammoth task.
Vandana Patankar, project director, GSACS, who is well aware of the task before her, said though they have started awareness programmes and workshops are being conducted, she says it will be a while before people come to really understand the issue and bury their prejudices.
She said the issue is complicated as there is no cure for HIV/AIDS. Present day parents, most of whom have one or two children, become too protective about their children even though HIV is not contagious.
"Two or three decades ago, parents rarely bothered who their children's classmates in schools were, with whom they play with. But today the scene is different," she says.
The situation, she says is not synonymous to Goa alone. "It is a phobia among the general population and the disease is a stumbling block," she says.
In their revised efforts to ally fear about HIV/AIDS among the general population, she said they have started involving people at all levels. "We are engaging panchayat representatives, health officials and other to pass on the message," she added.
A school teacher from a Mapusa school said many teachers are themselves ignorant about the disease or at times, despite of being well aware that merely touching or sitting next to a HIV-positive person will not get them an infection, they will still refuse to mix with HIV-positive persons. "This I have gathered from hearing teachers talk in the staffroom. What they feel about HIV-infected people. It is sad," she said.
She feels efforts should be made on all fronts to enlighten people about HIV, so that infected people are treated with dignity.
Vaidya also observed the efforts should not be half-hearted otherwise in future there will be more instances of schools closing their doors on children suffering HIV.http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Lack-of-awareness-among-general-public-in-Goa-about-HIV/AIDS/articleshow/39190676.cms
While GSACS is given credit for generating awareness about the deadly disease among high-risk groups such as commercial sex workers, truck drivers, motorcycle pilots, the Sanguem incident emphasizes the GSACS' need to also focus on the general population and work towards eliminating stigma attached to HIV AIDS.
Raj Vaidya who works for Positive People, a NGO working for HIV/AIDS, says besides creating awareness, more importantly, GSACS will have to now work towards doing away with stigma, and discrimination that HIV-infected people face.
"A lot of work has to be done," he says indicating that it will be a mammoth task.
Vandana Patankar, project director, GSACS, who is well aware of the task before her, said though they have started awareness programmes and workshops are being conducted, she says it will be a while before people come to really understand the issue and bury their prejudices.
She said the issue is complicated as there is no cure for HIV/AIDS. Present day parents, most of whom have one or two children, become too protective about their children even though HIV is not contagious.
"Two or three decades ago, parents rarely bothered who their children's classmates in schools were, with whom they play with. But today the scene is different," she says.
The situation, she says is not synonymous to Goa alone. "It is a phobia among the general population and the disease is a stumbling block," she says.
In their revised efforts to ally fear about HIV/AIDS among the general population, she said they have started involving people at all levels. "We are engaging panchayat representatives, health officials and other to pass on the message," she added.
A school teacher from a Mapusa school said many teachers are themselves ignorant about the disease or at times, despite of being well aware that merely touching or sitting next to a HIV-positive person will not get them an infection, they will still refuse to mix with HIV-positive persons. "This I have gathered from hearing teachers talk in the staffroom. What they feel about HIV-infected people. It is sad," she said.
She feels efforts should be made on all fronts to enlighten people about HIV, so that infected people are treated with dignity.
Vaidya also observed the efforts should not be half-hearted otherwise in future there will be more instances of schools closing their doors on children suffering HIV.http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Lack-of-awareness-among-general-public-in-Goa-about-HIV/AIDS/articleshow/39190676.cms
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