KOBE Conference

The Silent Sufferers too need Attention-Amritsar, HIV andWidows/Orphans. In Developing countries like India where there are 5.1 millionHIV patients already there seems to be no stopping this pandemic if wekeep overlooking the social needs of its silent sufferers. The presentscenario of gender biases will become worse with the increasing numberof silent sufferers of HIV the widows and orphans. BDC research center anextension of AIDS Awareness Group (AAG) is involved in care of HIVfamilies for last three years. Its area of work is in a holy city ofhistorical and religious sentiments (city of Golden temple-the highestseat of Sikhs- a minority ethnic group of India) .It is a district of3 M population thriving on the business of textile, dry fruits andtransport. Amritsar is situated on border of two countries India andPakistan. Drug trafficking is another menace of the area besidestrucking. In a retrospective analysis of 180 HIV families under itscare, BDC research center has found some startling facts that ought tobe shared with the planners of health care at all levels. There are 40.5% women andchildren sufferers.58 are women patients (32.2%)and 16 children (3females, 1 is thalassaemic). Three fourth of women sufferers needingtreatment are being denied the same for simple reasons of gender biasand economy playing their part together. Amongst children none of thefemale child is offered treatment by their families, for males thepercentage is 47 who are being denied treatment. Male bread earnersmainly involved in trucking profession usually bring HIV home, but big
spouses who cannot dare ask for protective measures and the worsthappens, newborns with disease come on this earth. Punjab is a state(Amritsar is a city of it) where the number HIV victims are officiallytoo low to draw attention to be a part of 3/5 initiative .Thesufferings of other HIV victims is no less. 71% are young and breadearners, majority are Sikhs (73.52%). 72% belong to poor strata ofsociety (monthly income <40$). The route of transmission in majoritywas sex but the number of persons acquiring through unknown modes(needles of so called health care providers mainly) was no less (!5.2%). IVDU\'s are 5%. Avertage viral load in patients who could affordit (36%) was74838 and cd4 481 at the start of treatment.34% had Tbbefore the start of treatment.2 had concomitant infection of HCV and20% had an episode of herpes zoster. majority of those who couldafford treatment (36%) asked for the cheapest combination ofAZT+3TC+NVP/3TC+D4T+NVP@ 38-51$ per month. One boy succumbed to theside effects (lactic acidosis). Other finding worth sharing is that40-70% on ARV failed to achieve complete viral suppression despitemonths of treatment. To conclude the situation is turning to begrave as is rightly assessed by international authorities but thelocal authorities are still thinking of IEC .It is time for a quickmarch to stop the progress of HIV in its tracks .One suggestion thecenter above has is to involve all types of health care providers inthis fight against the silent killer.",0]
);
//-->
business tycoons are no exception. Virus is silently passed on to thespouses who cannot dare ask for protective measures and the worsthappens, newborns with disease come on this earth. Punjab is a state(Amritsar is a city of it) where the number HIV victims are officiallytoo low to draw attention to be a part of 3/5 initiative .Thesufferings of other HIV victims is no less. 71% are young and breadearners, majority are Sikhs (73.52%). 72% belong to poor strata ofsociety (monthly income <40$). The route of transmission in majoritywas sex but the number of persons acquiring through unknown modes(needles of so called health care providers mainly) was no less (!5.2%). IVDU's are 5%. Avertage viral load in patients who could affordit (36%) was74838 and cd4 481 at the start of treatment.34% had Tbbefore the start of treatment.2 had concomitant infection of HCV and20% had an episode of herpes zoster. majority of those who couldafford treatment (36%) asked for the cheapest combination ofAZT+3TC+NVP/3TC+D4T+NVP@ 38-51$ per month. One boy succumbed to theside effects (lactic acidosis). Other finding worth sharing is that40-70% on ARV failed to achieve complete viral suppression despitemonths of treatment. To conclude the situation is turning to begrave as is rightly assessed by international authorities but thelocal authorities are still thinking of IEC .It is time for a quickmarch to stop the progress of HIV in its tracks .One suggestion thecenter above has is to involve all types of health care providers inthis fight against the silent killer.
we were there too