A statement issueed by Kiran Deshmukh, president, National Network of Sex Workers; Ashok Row Kavi, Convener, India Network for Sexual Minorities, and others have raised concerns over key populations affected by HIV losing jobs and not receiving government welfare measures. (Representational/File)

As the 23rd International AIDS Conference drew to a close, key populations affected by HIV/AIDS — sex workers, transpeople, gay and bisexual men, drug users, and people living with HIV/AIDS — have protested being ignored by governments and multilateral agencies in Covid-related emergency relief efforts.

A total of 10,483 people from 236 Indian and international organisations have publicly petitioned The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), demanding allocation to meet their basic survival needs of food, shelter, and emergency medical care.

A statement issueed by Kiran Deshmukh, president, National Network of Sex Workers; Ashok Row Kavi, Convener, India Network for Sexual Minorities, and others have raised concerns over key populations affected by HIV losing jobs and not receiving government welfare measures. This section of the community continued to be discriminated against and even had difficulty in obtaining ration cards, said Meena Seshu from Sangram NGO.

In the petition, GFATM is being asked to issue notification to governments to repurpose funds to ensure direct support for food, shelter, and emergency medical care for populations affected by HIV/AIDS, Seshu said.

As many as 236 organisations are signatories to the petition, which has strongly protested the apathy of multilateral agencies and even United Nations organisations, stating: “In fact not one of those who signed on to that promise has allocated any resource to ensure access to emergency ration, shelter, and medical care, which are critical to help us survive through this period.”