Centre informs SC of plan to ease HIV stigma with 3-pronged strategy

Expressing its concern for the people living with HIV-AIDS, the Government said it will soon convene...

Expressing its concern for the people living with HIV-AIDS, the Government said it will soon convene a meeting of all the stakeholders to work on the three-pronged strategy and assured the Supreme Court that soon “neo-conventional” methods would be adopted to deal with the disease and the stigma in society.

Stating this in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, which is seized of a petition seeking guidelines to deal with relief, care and rehabilitation of people with HIV/ AIDS, Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium submitted: “It’s a matter of great importance. Any human life lost to it can’t be merely treated with traditional affidavits but by neo-conventional methods.”

While seeking some more time to be granted before further directions are issued, he claimed that the Government is eager to convene a meeting shortly for taking a three-pronged plan. “The proposed approach would include steps to ensure adequate treatment to patients, finding out areas where there is insufficiency of ART centres and lastly, long term strategy with regard to rehabilitation of such patients,” he told the apex court bench.

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However at this, Justice R V Raveendran, who was part of the three-member bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan said, “but you should not wait for our orders.”

Agreeing with the court’s remark, ASG promptly assured it saying, “We want to do it on the top priority. As these petitions are a chance for the Government to come out of the adversary mode and get all those concerned to adopt a comprehensive strategy.”

Justice Raveedran, hearing the submissions sought to know, what does the Government plan to do about creating awareness about the deadly disease and its prevention? At this, the counsel assured that awareness would be at the forefront of all the measures to be adopted. “Measures are also being taken to include information in the school curriculum.”

Colin Gonsalves, who appeared for one of the petitioner organisations sought to highlight that how active steps are required from the Government. Citing the instance of states like Orissa, he said there’s no CD4 machine (for testing the presence of HIV virus) in as many as 30 districts. Even in states like UP, in about 70 districts there were only three such machines with three ART centres working, he added.