Kohima | May 1 : While continuing to mainstream HIV&AIDS activities into the regular programme of the state’s department of women development, it was felt that to make any tangible impact on the lives of women living with HIV, the health factor needed to be primarily considered and attended to.
“Approximately 80% of women living with HIV&AIDS in the state come from families below poverty line,” according to annual administrative report of the state’s department of women development tabled in the last assembly session. The report added that many of these women are too poor to afford proper meals, consequently making them too weak to gain benefit from the medicines prescribed for them.
Therefore, the report said, to ensure adequate nutritional intake of these women, a package of wholesome foodstuff for regular consumption which would result in improvement in health and consequent better response to their medication was developed, keeping in mind the dietary habits of local people. Thus, a food package consisting of rice, dal and vegetable ghee, which are easily available and could adequately meet the nutritional needs of PLHIV, was disbursed through the NNP+ and its districts networks to selected beneficiaries under the programme. The programme initially covered 500 HIV&AIDS women clients from all over the state. Currently the number of women beneficiaries covered under the programme has increased to 767. Poushtik+, a double fortified food supplement with all the essential micronutrients, fatty acids and amino acids has also been added to the food package to meet the higher nutritional needs of PLHIV during the year, the report said.
Further, the report stated that the efficacy of the programme is being evaluated through periodic health assessment and weight measurements of the beneficiaries for which weighing scales have been provided to all the district networks. The report stated that HIV&AIDS component being an integral part of the department’s concern and involvement in mitigating the spread of the disease, sensitization programmes were organized for all directorate officers and staff, instructors and trainees under the Training-cum- Production Centre and Women SHG members under the transformative livelihood project.
Without creating new and separate schemes for women living with HIV & AIDS, interventions for them have been incorporated in the various support service and socio-economic programmes of the department such as; annual GIA and NGOs working in the field of HIV &AIDS, including NPP+, special consideration is given to women living with HIV&AIDS during selection of beneficiaries under the financial assistance to destitute women programme. During 2010-11, more such women beneficiaries have been selected from all districts.
Seats are also kept aside every year for HIV&AIDS infected girls/young women for training in various trades under the Training-cum- Production Centre to facilitate them to take up self-employment activities, the report added.
