Expressbuzz.com, 8th May, 2009
BHAWANIPATNA: Social activists and health department officials expressed grave concern over increasing number of HIV positive cases in Kalahandi district at a workshop on AIDS recently. The workshop was organised by NGO Parivartan.
From 40 positive cases, detected in the district by December 2006, the number crossed 200 by March this year. Migrant labourers and sex workers are mostly vulnerable to AIDS, the workshop was told. A report said the problem has aggravated due to lack of awareness and illiteracy among a large chunk of population. There is also social stigma attached to the disease.
Parivartan secretary Sunil Kumar Patel said by involving youths in livelihood projects and integrating livelihood with HIV\AIDS prevention, social awareness about the disease could be successfully created in 40 project villages covering two blocks of Bhawanipatna and Junagarh. He said youths, both male and female, have volunteered to work as peer educators showing high level of commitment among the younger generation to create social awareness.
A group of transgenders has also joined the campaign as HIV\AIDS prevention ambassadors.
A transgender after being tested HIV positive turned a crusader against HIV, the workshop was told.
The transgender informed the scribe during an interaction programme that he tested HIV positive in 2007. Dejected, he even wanted to end his life. After repeated counselling by Parivartan, he decided to start a new life. He joined Parivartan’s HIV\AIDS project as a peer educator and spread awareness about the disease. He is also secretary of Bhawani, a resource centre for transgenders. He continues to work as an outreach worker, reaching out to transgenders and bisexual persons by disseminating the message on safe sex and use of contraceptives.
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