================================================================ SAATHII Electronic Newsletter HIV NEWS FROM INDIA Source: DNA India, Indian Express, The Hindu, Zeenews.com and Oneindia.in Posted on: 27/01/2010 COMPILED BY: J. Boopalan (Chennai, India) Note: this compilation contains news items about HIV/AIDS published in the Indian media, as well as articles relevant to HIV/AIDS in India published internationally. Articles in this and previous newsletters may also be accessed at http://www.saathii.org/orc/elibrary ================================================================ 1. Bhujbal asks youngsters not to get AIDS as it has no vaccine DNA India, January 18, 2010. http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_bhujbal-asks-youngsters-not-to-get-aids-as-it-has-no-vaccine_1336339 2. India's AIDS figures keep falling, latest is 22 lakh Indian Express, January 22, 2010. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/India-s-AIDS-figures-keep-falling--latest-is-22-lakh/570399 3. Light on the path The Hindu, January 22, 2010. http://beta.thehindu.com/life-and-style/society/article83178.ece 4. Festival of Colours Indian Express, January 22, 2010. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/festival-of-colours/570431/2 5. 50% drug users in Nagaland are IDU: Report Zeenews.com, January 23, 2010. http://www.zeenews.com/news598510.html 6. Sex workers begin marital life in Sirsa today Indian Express, January 25, 2010. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Sex-workers-begin-marital-life-in-Sirsa-today/571351 7. HIV/AIDS awareness to reach grassroots in UP through Indian Express, January 25, 2010. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hiv-aids-awareness-to-reach-grassroots-in-up-through/571392/ 8. Children's conference seeks to spread awareness about HIV-AIDS in Nagaland Oneindia.in, January 26, 2010. http://news.oneindia.in/2010/01/26/childrensconference-seeks-to-spread-awareness-about-hivai.html 9. Number of injecting drug users on the rise in Delhi, Punjab: Study Indian Express, January 27, 2010. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/number-of-injecting-drug-users-on-the-rise-in-delhi-punjab-study/571960/0 ================================================================ 1. Bhujbal asks youngsters not to get AIDS as it has no vaccine DNA India, January 18, 2010. http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_bhujbal-asks-youngsters-not-to-get-aids-as-it-has-no-vaccine_1336339 Maharashtra deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal today asked youths not to get dreaded disease of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) as there is no medicine or vaccine for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive. Bhujbal was inaugurating Red Ribbon Express and exhibition jointly organised by New Delhi-based national AIDS Control organisation, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and Maharashtra State AIDS Control Organisation at Nashik road railway station. He said that 'red-ribbon-drive' is good one and World Health Organisation is fighting since many years to research vaccine for AIDS and asked people to remain alert and prevent the deadly disease. Red Ribbon Express is providing all scientific information and urged the authority concerned to provide proper guidance to school and college students. Deputy director, Health Dr Dilip Viadya, District Health Officer Dr Ashok Mokdam, collector P Velrasu and civil surgeon Dr Asaram Bhalsingh were present. Red Ribbon Express, the train exhibition, will remain stand in Nashik Road station today and tomorrow. ================================================================ 2. India's AIDS figures keep falling, latest is 22 lakh Indian Express, January 22, 2010. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/India-s-AIDS-figures-keep-falling--latest-is-22-lakh/570399 The government has lowered its estimates for the number of people living with HIV/AIDS in India from 23.1 lakh in 2007 to 22.7 lakh in 2008-09. Estimates of the prevalence of the infection are down to 0.29 per cent from 0.36 per cent in 2007. “The trend suggests that the overall strategy is working. In 2006-07, 36 people per 10,000 were infected, now the number is 29. That’s quite a decline,” said Damodar Bachani, Dy DG, Department of AIDS Control. Prevalence continues to be concentrated in high risk groups — data for 2008-09 identify them as injecting drug users (9.2%), men having sex with men (7.3%), female sex workers (4.9%) and sexually-transmitted diseases clinic attendees (2.5%). Prevalence among ante-natal care clinic attendees is lower, at 0.49%. Of the six states — Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Nagaland and Manipur — that showed a high prevalence in earlier years, all except two — Andhra Pradesh and Nagaland — have seen the median HIV prevalence among ante-natal care clinic attendees fall under 1%. “Andhra Pradesh continues to be a problem state. The numbers suggest that every hundredth woman coming to the ante-natal care clinic may be infected,” Bachani said. In terms of overall prevalence, Manipur has declined to 0.54% from 1.68% — the highest in the country — in 2007. “However, prevalence among high-risk groups has gone up,” Dr Bachani said. Overall prevalence is most in Andhra (1.22%), followed by Nagaland (1.14%) and Karnataka (0.89%). ================================================================ 3. Light on the path The Hindu, January 22, 2010. http://beta.thehindu.com/life-and-style/society/article83178.ece Transgender activist Lakshmi Narayan Tripathi talks about Super Queen, her multi-city beauty contest, which seeks to bring the Kinnar community to the public eye “Ours is a beauty contest with a purpose,” says Lakshmi Narayan Tripathi, holding a cup of instant coffee. Brimming with poise, her frizzy hair forming a halo around her striking face, a bedecked Lakshmi is waiting for contestants to turn up for Delhi auditions of “Super Queen”, her 10-city beauty contest for transgender people, at the swank V.P. Chest Institute auditorium near Delhi University. “It's my baby,” she says, rolling her heavily kohl-ed eyes. A Mumbai resident, Lakshmi has been running Astitva, an NGO for the rights of the sexual minority in that city, for the last five years. “Recently, I also started my event management company, 12Noon Entertainment. Perhaps I am the only transgender CEO of a company in the country today,” she says with a proud grin. The name 12Noon Entertainment is because, she adds, “sir pe hamesha barah bajne chahiye, tabhi kuch kaam hota hain.” Adjusting the folds of her lovely beige sari, a garrulous Lakshmi states that the beauty contest is an extension of the Astitva's work. “Transgenders are so many in number in this country but they don't have any rights to lead a life of dignity. Astitva fights for their rights, and so will Super Queen, but with a lighter vein. We will shortlist 12 contestants for the finals, out of which three will win, but in the process, we will create 12 confident members from the community,” she points out. A post graduate from the University of Mumbai, Lakshmi speaks lucid English, which infuses more than a dash of verve into her thoughts. Needless to say, she can easily hold her own in a conversation, an example of which she has given on international platforms like the United Nations. “But how many are Lakshmis in our community?” she asks pertinently. The answer lies, she says, in initiatives like Super Queen. Eroded confidence “Years of exploitation and abuse have eroded the community's confidence. It has no right to education, no right to live a decent life; no one gives transgenders even the job of a house help. Even after years of being independent, this country still forces transgenders to remain a hidden community, to be used by the society as and when needed. The idea is to bring back a sense of confidence, that they too can if they want,” states Lakshmi. Giving an instance of “how the Government doesn't care,” she flashes her passport, saying, “I am a male, a female and a hijra in it. With a lot of difficulty I have got the passport issued.” A recent idea that transgenders should be used by the banks to recover debts is highly objectionable to Lakshmi. She reasons, “It will create a sense of hatred against the community.” As the day wanes, Lakshmi makes frantic phone calls to people from her community living across the city. At the end of the day, four contestants turn up for the auditions, out of which three are chosen for the semi-finals to be held in Mumbai on February 6. “I would be happy if three from each city turn up for the auditions. They turned up late for the event today but I understand. Their life is not easy. They have to go with their toli in the morning; after all it is Makar Sankranti, an auspicious day, today,” she says. After the auditions in Delhi, Super Queen will go to Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Bhopal and Bhubaneshwar. The shortlisted contestants are to meet in Mumbai for a grooming session. “We will teach them how to talk with poise, dress smartly, state their point with confidence, save themselves from diseases like HIV/AIDS. The best from the industry will train them,” says Lakshmi. The finals will be at Hotel Ashok in Delhi on February 21 and the winner will take away Rs.10 lakhs. Lakshmi names a clutch of known names backing her venture. “Our letters of invitation have gone to President Pratibha Patil, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Between the auditions, semi-finals and the final, we will have judges like actors Seema Biswas, Zeenat Aman, Celina Jaitley, maybe Salman Khan too, besides social activists and a board member from the Malaysia-based Asia Pacific Transgender Network. Celina will give an extra Rs.50,000 to the winner. UNAIDS is supporting us along with the company V Care and Parmeshwar Godrej's Heroes Project.” * * * I have a dream Poonam loves to dance. “I should not be vain but let me tell you I can do a great job of the songs ‘Kaanta laga’ and ‘Ring ring ringa’,” she says. With a giggle she adds, “But don’t ask me to wear short dresses, I feel very uncomfortable. Salwar kameez is fine for me, that’s how I have grown up.” So at first, when this Shahdara resident was asked by her guruji Reshma to take part in India’s Super Queen, she hesitated. “For a moment, I thought beauty contest means I will have to wear short western dresses. I sometimes wear jeans but I love to be in salwar kameez. Then I am told that it is not an issue,” she says. Poonam, in an elegant white salwar kameez, is asked by the judges what she will she do if she becomes Super Queen. “I will do meaningful work for the society. Kaam toh sabhi karte hain par bahut kam log hi samaj ko kuch kar dikhate hain. I want to work for HIV infected children and also for elderly people who have no one to take care of them,” she says. With a clincher of an answer, Poonam is now in the shortlist from Delhi along with two others, Khushi and Kamini, and will soon pack her bags for a grooming session in Mumbai. “Meanwhile, I am doing a bit of exercises, I seem to have some flab around my waist,” she says, summing up. ================================================================ 4. Festival of Colours Indian Express, January 22, 2010. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/festival-of-colours/570431/2 Reading sessions interspersed with musical performances and interaction with the audience, that’s how Pawan Dhall describes the first Blue Apple Literary Festival. “Eminent media, academic and literary personalities will be invited to read extracts from books, journals and other literary publications. We hope that the event attracts a mixed audience from the academia, media and larger civil society,” says Dhall of SAATHII (a non-profit organization that strengthens HIV prevention, care, support, treatment and associated gender and sexuality). Well, that sounds like any other literary festival—reading sessions and interactions—but there is a twist to the Blue Apple Literary Festival. The festival happens to be the first Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) literary festival to be organized in the city. “This is a new initiative to bring forth literary expressions of non-heteronormative genders and sexualities in the Indian context,” adds Dhall. The festival draws its name from the “blue apples” shown in a 2005 Bengali music video “Pokkhiraaj” (Pegasus) to symbolize lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other queer people and relations. The music video was a collaborative venture of leading Bengali rock band Cactus, SAATHII and support groups Amitie’ and Swikriti. Along with the Blue Apple Festival SAATHII will also organize the annual Siddhartha Gautam Film Festival this March. “The main purpose of the film festival is to screen films that deal with the different human rights issues that Siddhartha worked on, and in the process provide a platform for filmmakers working on these issues to show their films. In particular, the film festival tries to support and encourage Indian filmmakers,” says Dhall. The Siddhartha Gautam festival also aims to prove a platform for dialogue on issues relating to different vulnerable groups, provide a safe space for their members and for those who wish to engage themselves with issues concerning the groups. In this context, the event hopes to link members of the audience who have faced or are facing human rights violations with relevant resource persons. The ‘curtain raiser’ film of the festival is a new docu-feature film directed by Dr. Tirthankar Guha Thakurta, who has to his credit earlier films like Piku Bhalo Achhey and Strangers in the Rain. Red Umbrella portrays a village boy’s journey to the perplexing crowd of the city where many people are organizing some sort of a forbidden march to unfurl their hearts’ colors. ================================================================ 5. 50% drug users in Nagaland are IDU: Report Zeenews.com, January 23, 2010. http://www.zeenews.com/news598510.html At least 50 per cent drug addicts in Nagaland are injecting drugs users (IDU) and vulnerable to HIV/AIDS transmission, the latest report compiled by an NGO has revealed. Nagaland, which has an estimated 35,000 to 40,000 drug users, has the fifth highest number of them in the country, the report compiled by Bethesda Youth Welfare Centre, Dimapur, said. According to the report, which is based on studies conducted by government agencies including NACO and NGOs in 2009, out of 35,000 to 40,000 drug users, 18,000 to 20,000 are injecting drug users and exchange of needles among them is one of the major routes of HIV/AIDS transmission. These findings presented at 'Convergence Workshop on Drug Abuse Prevention' at Dimapur yesterday called for a coordinated and concerted effort from all stakeholders to tackle the problem of drug abuse in Nagaland. The workshop sponsored by National Institute of Social Defence, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in collaboration with Regional Resource and Training Center, North East-II was attended by various NGOs, field based organisations and educational institutions. ================================================================ 6. Sex workers begin marital life in Sirsa today Indian Express, January 25, 2010. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Sex-workers-begin-marital-life-in-Sirsa-today/571351 Marking a ray of hope for thousands of women trapped in sex trade, six sex workers will get married to men who have come forward to be their companion for life. The marriages will be solemnised at the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa on Monday. Many Dera followers have contributed Rs 1 per day for a welfare corpus dedicated to rehabilitate these sex workers. After nearly two months, the amount is now in several lakhs of rupees. These sex workers, rescued from West Bengal, Delhi and Rajasthan, will live with their in-laws after marriage. “If the arrangement does not work or the parents of the groom backtrack from their commitment to accept them as their daughters-in-law, the Dera intends to set up a separate colony where the couple can live,” sect spokesperson Dr Aditya Insan told The Indian Express. The identity of women is being concealed to avoid any possible attempt to ostracise the family. A few months ago, nearly 2,000 youths had volunteered to marry sex workers. Their consents have been supported by affidavits. Many among such youths are professionals, students of mass communication and business administration. Dr Aditiya Insan said, “These brides will have the option to pick up from a host of vocational courses run by the Dera. This will keep them occupied and offer them a decent livelihood.” A youth, who is marrying on Monday, said, “We are not marrying sex workers, their past is inconsequential to us.” Though the sect has come across many such women with children, the first six to-be-brides have no children. “These children will stay in the sect. We have a list of hundreds of families, including NRIs, who are willing to take care of expenses to bring them up,” Insan said. ================================================================ 7. HIV/AIDS awareness to reach grassroots in UP through Indian Express, January 25, 2010. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hiv-aids-awareness-to-reach-grassroots-in-up-through/571392/ After receiving encouraging results from five districts where Uttar Pradesh State AIDS Control Society (UPSACS) had roped in grassroots level health workers for HIV/AIDS training and awareness programmes, the organisation is planning to approach self help groups (SHG) as well as village panchayats for bringing the HIV/AIDS training and awareness programmes into the mainstream. “We have already trained more than 2,000 anganwadi and ASHA workers from five districts between June and December last year and the results were encouraging,” said Ramesh Menon, Project Director, State Mainstreaming Unit, UPSACS. While Banda, Itawa, Devariya, and Mau were chosen for being Category A districts — the vulnerable districts of the state, Moradabad was chosen because of its industrial background. “The intake of services like HIV testing among pregnant women as well as general masses significantly increased in these districts. Also, we traced four to five patients in each district who were HIV positive and required to visit our Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART) centre for medication,” said Menon. The UPSACS is planning to impart similar training to 12,000 SHG workers and the remaining 4,000 ASHA and anganwadi workers in these five districts. “The training of SHG workers in these districts will start in February and complete by April. After this, ASHA and anganwadi workers will be trained,” said Menon. “After October, when the panchayat elections will be conducted, we plan to include half-a-day training about HIV/AIDS awareness in the regular training, which is imparted to the newly-elected gram pradhans. This will be cost effective as well as help us reach the people directly through government bodies,” he added. Till now, the awareness campaigns of HIV/AIDS were restricted to mass media and Information Education and Communication activities of UPSACS. Meanwhile, the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) organised the second phase of workshops to achieve an epidemiological profiling of districts. The three days workshop, which ended on Sunday, was organised at CSMMU and had participants from 13 states, including Uttar Pradesh, who were trained to compile the data available from various sources and use them intelligently for drawing a focused plan of AIDS control in future. “Because of baseline survey conducted across the country in 2006 as well as with functional centers of AIDS control in various districts across each state, we have rich data available on AIDS, and we are in a better position to judge the trends of the epidemic at the district level,” said Dr Yujwal Raj, Senior Technical Officer (Surveillance), NACO. ================================================================ 8. Children's conference seeks to spread awareness about HIV-AIDS in Nagaland Oneindia.in, January 26, 2010. http://news.oneindia.in/2010/01/26/childrensconference-seeks-to-spread-awareness-about-hivai.html A three-day children's conference was held here recently to spread awareness about HIV-AIDS, and other problems. Buzz up! In an initiative to mould lives of young children in Dimapur, a conference was organized to spread awareness about various social problems that they face. Over 1300 young people between 8-14 years participated in a three-day long Children's Conference at Dimapur District Sport Council Stadium organized by the King's Kids International. Children representing different Churches, denominations, cultures and distant locations came together at one single platform to participate in the event.he event aimed at spreading awareness among the children about drug abuse, HIV- AIDS, relationships and puberty. Nearly 90 delegates from outside India participated in the event as well. They spent time with children providing them exposure to foreign methods and cultures. "I feel really luck and its such a great chance to be a part of it. After I get back from this conference, I will be able to become a lot better person and will be able to contribute lot to society, said Chubaren, a participant, "I have attended two workshops and from that I have seen that 1st workshop was how to hear gods voice and then it was mostly to help children handle personal relationships. 2nd workshop was meant for teenagers and it was mostly with dating, so I think that present situation it is very beneficial to talk about consequence of HIV and pregnancy," said Thejaseno, a teacher. Students were divided in large groups and workshops, fun activities, object lessons, testimonies and presentations were conducted for imparting information. Singing and dancing performances added an element of festivity. The event also indirectly aimed at spreading the message of peace and unity in the state. "I think first of all it does really bring children closer to Jesus and share with them about Jesus. To bring them to kingdom of God. But another reason is that we bring children from all regions and tribes together to be in unity as one body," said Barbara, of Switzerland. A large number of children bonded at the event ignoring differences of caste, creed and ethnicity to work towards building violence free and a just society in the future. ================================================================ 9. Number of injecting drug users on the rise in Delhi, Punjab: Study Indian Express, January 27, 2010. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/number-of-injecting-drug-users-on-the-rise-in-delhi-punjab-study/571960/0 Even as the latest data on HIV/AIDS in India suggests a drop in the overall spread of the virus, a very high prevalence has been seen among the high-risk groups in various states. Earlier limited to Northeastern states like Manipur and Nagaland, the prevalence of Injecting Drug Users (IDUs) this time has been found in Delhi and Punjab too. According to the latest data of 2008-09, the prevalence of IDUs in Delhi is 18.60 per cent. In 2007, this was 10.10 per cent. Likewise in Punjab, the prevalence of IDUs was 13.79 in 2007, and has now increased to 26.36 per cent. “The new data suggests that there is a need to spearhead the same interventions for IDUs in these newly emerging places too as we have done in the Northeastern states. Delhi, Punjab and Mumbai have become the new hot spots for the IDUs,” said Dr Damodar Bachani, Deputy, Director-General, department of AIDS control. According to experts, the spread of the virus in the MSM group (Men having sex with men) still remains high. Andhra Pradesh recorded the maximum HIV/AIDS prevalence in MSM (23.60 per cent), followed by Manipur (17.21 per cent), Maharashtra (12.80 per cent) and Karnataka (12.52 per cent) in 2008-2009. The prevalence of the virus in the Female Sex Workers (FSW) in certain states has increased, says the latest data. While, according to the 2007 data, the prevalence of HIV in FSW was 5.30 per cent in Karnataka, the latest data shows Karnataka has the highest FSW prevalence (14.40 per cent), followed by Nagaland (14.06 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (11.14 per cent). According to the new data, Maharashtra has recorded highest prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) (13.07 per cent). In 2007, it was Andhra Pradesh that had the highest prevalence of STDs (17.20 per cent). ================================================================ Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in the above articles are those of the respective newspapers, not those of SAATHII.