Indian Catholic health care organisation helps AIDS patients
(Oct.27,2010) The Catholic Health Association of India, CHAI, one of the world’s largest
non-governmental organisations in the health sector, decided during its recent general
meeting to pay more attention to HIV/AIDS patients. The general meeting, held at the
CHAI Training Centre in Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh State, attracted more than 550
health care workers and activists, including bishops, priests and nuns. Three topics
dominated the proceedings, but the most discussed issue was AIDS. Fr Mukundev
Boloiarsingh, a delegate from Orissa, told AsiaNews that the number of HIV/AIDS victims
is growing in the country. He said CHAI, as church-based organisation can contribute
to the prevention of HIV/AIDS, as well as educate the public on how to care and love
HIV/AIDS patients and not discriminate against them. He noted that in too many cases,
people with HIV/AIDS have been sent away by their families and communities. Some have
been denied necessary medical treatment. In some cases, they were even deprived of
the last rites before death. India has a population of about a billion people,
around half of whom are adults in the sexually active age group. Its first AIDS case
was detected in 1986 and since then, HIV infections have been reported in all states
and union territories. The highest HIV prevalence rates are found in Andhra Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in the south, as well as Manipur and Nagaland
in the northeast. The vast majority of patients are heterosexual (80 per cent),
mostly among high-risk groups like female, male sex workers, and drug users.