Around 200 children living with HIV in Manipur: Report

Manipur joined the other parts of globe in celebrating the World AIDS Day with the theme “Getting to Zero” emphasis to zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS related death.

According to officials of Manipur State Aids Control Society (MACS) the ever-changing dimensions and dynamics of the HIV/AIDS epidemic has poised the greatest challenge in halting and reversing the epidemic.

“What started out as an epidemic among the high risk population soon crossed over to the general population, later inducing a feminization of the epidemic? Now it has reached out to children,” Dr Pramodkumar, Project Director (Technical) of Manipur State Aids Control Society Manipur State Aids Control Society (MACS) said.

“In Manipur there are around 2000 children living with HIV according to latest data, but even among these, we still are to know how many have died and how many are suffering,” he added, while pointing out that dealing with children living with HIV/AIDS is a very complicated issue.

There were various stages when the child is growing up when the inadequacy of information and counseling is felt, he went on to assert at the observance function in which state health and family welfare minister Phungjathang Tonsing called for a concerted effort to fight the dreaded disease by enhancing services for prevention, care and treatment.

“We should understand the suffering being faced by the HIV/AIDS infected persons,” the minister said and encouraged that many young HIV positive men and women of the state have come out public and joined the fight against HIV and AIDS problem in the state.

Display of products prepared by various self help groups, (SHG) of infected and affected widows and selling was the highlights of the day.

13 stalls of different NGOs working in the field of HIV/AIDS were opened at the premises of MFDC. Handloom and handicraft items, winter garments, dish wash, mushroom, bamboo-shoot etc were some of the products sold in the stalls.