IMPHAL, May 15: Right now the world has 37 million people still living with HIV/AIDS and the state has about 28000 people registered for ART treatment including children, said joint director (TI) Manipur AIDS Control Society Abhiram Mongjam during the 33rd International Candlelight Memorial 2016 held at Manipur Dramatic Union here today.
Abhiram said that the significance of the programme is to remember those people with HIV/AIDS who died on the way in the struggle of life. Candlelight memorial was initiated since 1983 and this year it was observed with the theme: Engage, Aware and Educate, mentioned Abhiram and said that with the theme it is very important to give awareness and education to the younger generation not to become prey of such disease.
To cope up with People Living with HIV/AIDS and to combat the disease needs extensive welfare activities and to minimise the stigma and discrimination need to conduct awareness and engagements, he stated.
State is registered with 28000 people depending on ART or Antiretroviral Therapy and out of which 4000 children has the syndrome and 2,800 children are engaged with the therapy, he said adding that the state is already supplying 2nd line ART but with changing trend many have became resistant. He said that the nation is in the pipeline for 3rd line ART. He mentioned that people living with HIV/AIDS with below 200 CD4 count pushed up to 350 CD4 with ART are still allowed for the therapy. With coming up of new National Aids Control policy, he said, infected people having below 500 CD4 are supplied ART medicine as precaution.
He said that the state concerned department is preparing to supply ART under the new policy but the department still requires adequate medicine, equipments, man power, doctors and nurses.
He said that the children who are single parent orphan or double parent orphan many a time face challenges of social stigma and if proper counselling is not given to them then it might led to horizontal transmission.
Abhiram said that the programme is not only to remember those who died but to render awareness and engage to control from further spread of the disease.
As part of the programme the participants lights candle which was followed by silent observation for a minute.
Centre of Organisation Research & Education (CORE) President Dr Laifungbam Debabrata Roy, Human Right Alert Executive Director Babloo Loitongbam and Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Right member Pradeep Keisam were also present as presidium members.