Carlin Carr, Bangalore Community Manager
The AIDS crisis continues to loom large in India, with more than 2.5 million people infected with HIV. The country has taken steps toward addressing the issue, including launching a National AIDS Control Program. Still, the virus has taken the lives of millions of mothers and fathers, and UNICEF estimates that there could be as many as 4 million children affected in India, including those living with HIV — estimated to number nearly 100,000 — those orphaned by AIDS, and those whose parents are living with HIV.
Critics say that there has been a major lapse in the focus on children in addressing HIV/AIDS. An article in the journal Lancet says that while the National AIDS Control Program places special emphasis on “medical treatment and after care, access to schooling, and adequate nutrition, government interventions for AIDS orphans are conspicuous by their absence in any area other than pediatric ART.” Children often drop out of school to care for their sick family members, and if they are orphaned, they often face severe social stigmas against them.
In the absence of comprehensive government interventions, NGOs and civil society have stepped in to address the needs of, and care for, these children. Milana, a Bangalore-based organization, provides support for people living with HIV in the city, many of whom are children. In the Lancet article, Jyothi Kiran, founder of Milana, says, “Children are the worst affected by the problems that HIV brings with it. They suffer severe stigma and neglect and are very often abandoned. Orphaned children are denied even basic necessities like food and nutrition by their extended families. If they are themselves HIV-positive, the situation becomes worse and their very existence is threatened.”
Milana gives families and children a safe and supportive meeting place to share information, learn how to access proper care, and discuss the difficulties of living with the virus. Classes and sessions on nutrition are also given to help affected clients live healthier lives with the challenges they face. Children who have tested positive for HIV are often malnourished and underweight.
One of the biggest unmet challenges is lack of shelter for AIDS orphans. In Bangalore, another NGO, ACCEPT, runs a 35-bed facility for HIV-positive patients as well as a separate home for orphans. Eighteen children stay at the home with two full-time care staff, a teacher, and other counseling and support. All the children attend the local school — a big step, given that even the schools often discriminate against these children.
While NGOs such as Milana and ACCEPT address one of the most devastating gaps in the fight against AIDS, so much more needs to be done. These children deserve the right to appropriate care as well as to all the necessary services and support so they can live happy and healthy lives free of stigma and judgment.
Photo credit: Lydur Skulason