Nagaland, considered as the second most prevalent state in India in HIV & AIDs related cases, had 14,563 people tested positive till March 2013. Of these, 16% of HIV infection was reported between 15-24 years of age.
This was revealed by Dr. Joyce Angami Tuesday during a service provider NGOs/CBOs and churches consultative workshop on addressing “stigma and discrimination” retaliated to drug use and HIV and AIDS, at Bookmarc, conference hall, Dimapur.
In a power point presentation on ‘drug and HIV related stigma and discrimination’, Dr. Joyce said that testing of HIV & AIDS has been continuing and that positive cases were still being determined especially in Dimapur.
Dr. Joyce informed that 89% of route transmission of seropositive cases in Nagaland was through sexual route, 5% PTCT, 4% through infectious needle/blood and 2% through “not specified” route.
Stressing on the social stigma and discrimination faced by people living with HIV, Dr. Joyce said that during an interaction with a family of People Living with HIV and AIDS (PLHA), the members expressed that the stigma and discrimination would continue if people do not have full knowledge about the disease.
She pointed out that that there was a need for spreading awareness on HIV as it was the greatest humanitarian health crisis of all times.
Delivering a keynote address, state coordinator, Legislators’ Forum on AIDS-Nagaland (LFA) Dr. Vinito L Chishi said that LFA in partnership with Nagaland State AIDS Control Society was working together with a common goal of reducing the prevalence rate from 1.20% (till 2010) to 0.78% since 2011.
He said that there has been significant fall in infection through injecting (drug users) but said that it was unfortunate that sexual route of transmission was on increase in high proportion. He also said it was “not possible” to achieve zero percent.
Earlier, chairperson Clara Sumi from Akimbo society who has been a pioneer social worker working for sex workers said that it was “shameful” that Nagaland despite being a Christian state was the second most infected state in the country and added that as Christians, the people were lacking in love, care and affection towards PLHA.
She also narrated her experience in 1991, when the first AIDS patient of the state died, not a single doctor or nurse came forward to help the patient.
Clara revealed that the victim was denied funeral service and that none came forward to pray for the departed soul.
Some of the other speakers who shared during the meeting were Fr. Joe Ngamkhuchung, CEO North East India Harm Reduction Network (NEIHRN) Sasi Kumar, Alongla Aier from Oriental Theological Seminary and a representative from DNP+.