India observes World AIDS Day with awareness rallies, pledge campaigns

India, which has now overtaken South Africa as the country with the highest number of people living with AIDS, observed World AIDS Day, December 1, 2006, with thousands of activists and HIV–positive people participating in a number of peace rallies and awareness and pledge campaigns in different parts of the country.

In Uttar Pradesh, activists participated in a candle light march to spread awareness about the deadly disease, and dispel social stigmas attached to it.

"We are protesting the social stigma for the disease and the pain which the victim has to undergo due to that," said Gopal, Vice– President, Positive Network, an organization for the victims of the disease.

In Shimla, students took part in rallies and peace marches.

According to AIDS control authorities, the spread of the disease in Himachal Pradesh is less than one percent and this, has been made possible due to awareness programmes.

"The awareness that we are spreading has greatly helped in curtailing the spread of the virus," said Sulakahana Puri, Project Director of the AIDS Control Society.

Activists in Assam took out a rally to educate the poor.

"Apart from working for the venerable groups, the truck drivers, sex workers who go to village and spread the disease, so we need to educate the poor and illiterates," said Ranjita Bordoloi, an AIDS volunteer.

Similar rallies by school students were also staged in Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore.

Speaking on the occasion of World AIDS Day, Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam said, "For the last few years HIV/AIDS is threatening to become a silent killer, since infection to recognition of fatal disease symptom takes a decade. As human beings we may get into a problem, but we should not get defeated. We should find out ways of defeating the problem and succeed."

Urging lawmakers to ensure that legislation to end discrimination against HIV/AIDS patients is brought into force in the next six months, President Kalam said, "It is for the members of Parliament to sit together and pass a legislation, which would prevent discrimination against AIDS patients in their day–to–day life."

"The Ministry of Health is working on a draft legislation and I would call upon the members to see that a robust and effective legislation is brought into force within the next six months," he added.

In his speech, President Kalam also urged the government to work towards making the cost of anti–retroviral drugs more affordable.

The Indian President also stressed that for a more effective awareness campaign among the young and high–risk groups, rural and religious bodies should reach out to more people.

According to UN reports, many HIV positive people suffer discrimination in India as there is a low level of awareness and a stigma attached with the pandemic.

This is despite that fact that India has the largest population of HIV infected people worldwide, accounting for 5.7 million of the 39.5 million HIV/AIDS cases globally.

HIV–positive people often face discrimination at their workplace, have been rejected by families, spouses and communities and in many cases are refused medical treatment at hospitals and clinics.

A recent study found that one–quarter of HIV–infected people were refused medical treatment on the basis of their HIV–positive status. The discrimination has been hindering efforts to prevent new infections.