HIV patients in HP on mission to nip virus in bud

As the mobile Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre (ICTC) van parks itself in colleges,market places or any other locality and Mukesh takes the microphone to speak about HIV-AIDS,its prevention,anti-retro viral treatment and CD4 (cluster of differentiation) counts,most people mistake him for a doctor.

“Just as I announce to the crowd that I am HIV positive,I have noticed the crowds around the van swell,” he says. The first-of-its-kind effort in the state to involve HIV-positive people to spread awareness about the disease among the public and high-risk groups has been a hit. It has resulted in a record 230 people coming for voluntary tests within the first 20 days,of which a few tested positive.

“I have now found the best purpose for my life,” says a beaming Mukesh,who also earns a good remuneration from his new job. Mukesh got to know of his positive status in 2007. So did his wife. Their son and daughter,however,tested negative.

Inspired by the success of the experiment with the ICTC van,the state is all set to launch a brigade of 200 other HIV-positive people who registered themselves at the two “drop-in centres” at Paonta in Sirmour district and Barmana (Beri) in Bilaspur to become volunteers and take the awareness message to the remotest villages of the state.

Among these 200 people are women and children below 18 years,says Sulakshna Puri,project director of the State Aids Control Society. The state will offer remuneration to them,as most volunteers are from economically weaker sections and have no jobs. The state has 4,218 HIV-positive cases and 735 full-blown cases of AIDS.

“Mukesh’s initiative to lead the campaign has been a major success and was appreciated nationally at a meeting held in Delhi last week. The outstanding feature of the current programme is that of the 230 people who came for voluntary tests most are young girls. In Chandi (Solan),at least 63 college girls came for voluntary tests and our aim is to target these students to spread the message of voluntary AIDS test for all men and women planning to get married,” says Puri.

Mehar Singh from Mandi,who was earlier a taxi driver,is another HIV-positive person who has made his mark as a trained resource person for doctors.

Anant Ram (45),a retired havildar from the Indian Army,who tested positive 20 years ago when he was still serving,is a counsellor too. “My story has inspired many patients and helped them cope up with depression. Though I am an HIV-positive for the last 20 years,I do not require medicine and doctors say till my CD4 count is good I will not require any. I am happy that early detection prevented further transmission of the virus in the family,” he says.

Talking about health issues related to HIV-positive status,Mukesh tells his audience that after he tested positive he was also detected with tuberculosis of bones. “Look at me,I am six feet and was reduced from 80 kgs to 40 kgs. After getting on to ART drugs,I have regained my energy and am all youthful again,” he tells the youngsters.

The state had earlier introduced HIV-positive people to counsel patients at the drop-in centres. At Paonta,a young woman in her mid-twenties,who had lost her husband to AIDS,was one of the early volunteers.

A 14-year-old HIV-positive boy from Poanta,who lost his parents and sister to AIDS,is another volunteer for the upcoming campaign. “After I lost my family,I was thrown out of home by my uncles and my 85-year-old grandmother supported me. Forget education,we could hardly manage two square meals. To become a torchbearer for the campaign is the best I can do to repay the efforts of my grandmother,” he says.