Problems of AIDS widows and orphans in Manipur
Manipur fighting a losing battle against AIDS

AIDS widows, alarmingly increasing its number in the state is worrying about their wards' future. The number of AIDS dead cases in Manipur has increased to 193. There are over 800 AIDS cases and 12,400 HIV positive cases in Manipur according to the latest epidemiological analysis of the MACS. Besides, there are over 1000 children affected with HIV/AIDS in Manipur. This dreaded disease emerged as one of the biggest health hazards in the world. At present over 38 (thirty eight) million people are suffering from this dreaded disease AIDS in the world. 

Manipur is the first state in the country to have adopted AIDS policy in 1996 with the formation of the Manipur AIDS Control Society (MACS) in 1998, though, no substantial project or steps are being taken up to rehabilitate the AIDS widows and their children who are the actual victims of this dreaded disease.

This encourages "harm reduction strategies" like "needle syringe exchange program", "bleach and teach program" and "drug substitution therapy". The number of NGOs supported by the National AIDS Control Organization, (NACO) in Manipur increased from one in 1997-98 to 119 during 2000- 01. There is, indeed, no provision for rehabilitating the widows or orphans of the
AIDS victims even though the main activities of the Counter AIDS are being focused on prevention and intervention aspects. The widows and the orphans are the final victims of HIV/AIDS. 

"What we are concerned about is not the discrimination and social rejection but our livelihood and more importantly the future of our wards", says one of the members of the Intervention and Care of Healthy Environment (ICHE), a self help group of widows whose husbands died of this dreaded disease Expressing unhappiness with the authorities concerned for failing to give proper attention to them, the AIDS widows told this correspondent that despite their best efforts to run the home, they are facing untold financial constraints in providing education for their children and family maintenance etc. Over and above, they have to take care of their health for which a big amount of money is requested to buy medicine and special diet.

The NACO based on the sentient surveillance data, which is considered more scientific estimates that HIV/AID infection in antenatal women crossed 3% in Manipur, which are placed in Group 1, the highest risk category of HIV prevalence. President of the Social Awareness Service Organization (SASO), AK Kamat expressing unhappiness over the government's paying little attention within this purview, said with the increase in the spreading of the disease, the number of (AIDS) widows and orphans are also increasing day in day out. Most of the AIDS patients cannot afford the high rice of AIDS drugs. One patient spends around Rs 2196 per month on the drugs. 

Sales tax exemption should be given to the drugs used in triple drugs therapy, a treatments for elongating the live of the victims, he said, adding that NGOs who are committed to fight against this dreaded disease should consider the ultimate victims.

In fact, several NGOs with financial assistance from MACS are rendering yeomen's services in spreading awareness, caring and taking up intervention measures. National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) has released over Rs 180 crores to the MACS last year for combating the dreaded AIDS in Manipur.

Dr. Khomdon Lisham, MACS project director, said a major project for rehabilitating HIV/AIDS victims is being started soon in the state. Providing education facilities to orphans and other forms of support especially to widows will be given top priority under the new project.
There are two community care centers at Imphal and Churachandpur districts.

Accommodation has become another big problem. But, extension of one ward in the Jawaharlal Nehru hospital Porompat Imphal for providing support treatments to the AIDS patients is on the anvil, the project director added.

As a matter of fact, Manipur is often described as an epicenter of AIDS in the Northeast. In contrast, Nagaland has reported only 500 HIV positive cases whereas Assam and Mizoram have reported 262 and 149 respectively; Meghalaya and Sikkim have reported only 61 and 12 HIV positive cases as of June 2000.

India is among the five countries which host more than two million people with AIDS and HIV, the virus which causes AIDS, the United Nations reported, painting a grim picture of the disease. The remaining four countries are in Africa-Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. In India, some 310,000 people, more than any other country, died of AIDS in 1999, the world body found.

However, the pattern of HIV epidemic within the country differs widely. In Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and other states, more than 75% of the HIV infection has occurred through sexual transmission, whereas in Manipur and the northeastern states (Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram in particular) more than 75% of the HIV infections occur mostly through sharing the needles and syringes by the drug users.

The proximity of the North Eastern states to the "Golden Triangle" world's most heroin refinery area comprising of Laos, Thailand and Myanmar, where more than 250 metric tons of heroin is produced every year, makes this region the most vulnerable part of the country. Manipur has become an easy and soft route for international illegal drug trafficking and in the process has also become one of the "user states". Drug production and illegal drug trafficking are often associated with the trafficking in women. Presently, the Northeast is facing the twin problem of drug abuse and AIDS.

(Bit Irom, Imphal correspondent)

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