Zero Discrimination

Aheli Moitra   

During the World AIDS Day on December 1, 2016, a doctor in government service made a startling revelation. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Dimapur between April-October 2016 stood at 5.04% as compared to Nagaland State’s 1.72% -- out of 13,286 tested at the Dimapur District Hospital, 527 were tested positive within a period of seven months. 

More disturbingly, out of total 7869 persons registered at the Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) Centre, Dimapur, as on October 2016, only 4879 are on ART medication. 682 persons are known to have died since the inception of ART Centre in Dimapur—this still leaves us with a deficit of 2308 persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) who are receiving no treatment at all.   It is important to consider why that is.  

One of the significant markers of the HIV/AIDS graph in Nagaland has been the high prevalence rates registered in Dimapur. A large part of this is because more people from the far flung districts of Nagaland (and some from Assam) come all the way to Dimapur to get tested, and sometimes even to receive therapy.  

According to doctors, stigma and discrimination associated with the Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) has led more people to get tested, and treated, far away from home in Dimapur. The fear remains that if the family, communities or the workplace find out about their positive status, they will be shunned out of society and discriminated against in all facets of community life.  

Often the fear is placed in reality and leads to self discrimination among PLHIV. In turn, this keeps them away from getting the right treatment, turning instead to spiritual healing and painkillers. This eventually leads to spread of the Virus.  

The Nagaland State AIDS Control Society (NSACS) highlighted that 1.96 lakh new HIV infections were reported in the State in 2015—while the national adult HIV prevalence in the Indian Union is estimated at 0.26%, Nagaland has 1.29% estimated adult HIV prevalence. Doctors suggest that approximately 300 persons die in Nagaland every year from HIV/AIDS.  

March 1 was Zero Discrimination Day. Millions around the world face social and economic exclusion due to intolerance and prejudice—this particularly includes women and children who are also a vulnerable population in terms of violence and abuse, in turn keeping them away from healthcare.  

This year’s theme is to ‘make some noise’ around the issue of discrimination that keeps PLHIV from getting equal and unbiased access to healthcare. Without the elimination of HIV-related stigma and discrimination, experts believe that we will not manage to end the suffering caused due to the epidemic.  

“Discrimination is a violation of human rights and must not go unchallenged,” former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had said. “Everyone has the right to live with respect and dignity.”  

It is only when people are able to participate with dignity in their daily lives without fear of discrimination and persecution that they will access health services. It is impossible for many people in Nagaland to come down to Dimapur to access healthcare and it is important that they at least have the confidence to approach the ART centres in each of their district headquarters, not just for testing and treatment but also education on containing the epidemic.    

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