World AIDS Day: 1,400 lives lost to AIDS in Odisha's Ganjam district

BERHAMPUR: AIDS has claimed over 1,400 lives while a significant number of people are living with the disease in Ganjam district. According to Odisha State AIDS Control Society (OSACS), the nodal agency fighting the dreaded disease, as many as 14,734 persons in 22 blocks of the district have been identified as HIV positive from 2009 to  October, 2017.

While Polasara block has the highest number of 1,127 HIV positive patients, the lowest of 198 has been detected in Jaganathprasad. According to reports prepared by Aruna, a voluntary organisation working for prevention of AIDS, majority of People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are from rural parts of Ganjam.

Massive migration, ignorance, low female literacy, inadequate prevention measures and high level of stigma and discrimination are the reasons for spread of HIV. The State Government is providing `300 per month to HIV positive patients under Madhu Babu Pension scheme and BPL cards. However, the patients are reluctant to avail the facilities due to fear of social stigma. Despite spending crores of rupees to create awareness against the dreaded disease, fear still prevails among the doctors.

Aruna Director Loknath Mishra, who works for rehabilitation of HIV positive persons in the district, said Ganjam happens to be the most HIV-infection prone district of Odisha and has more than half of HIV persons of the State. An HIV positive patient is more open and friendly with another affected person, he said.

Ironically, though it has been admitted that over seven lakh people of Ganjam stay in other States as migrant labourers, so far, HIV tests have been done only on 5,59,425 persons during the last 15 years.