MSF supports global call for "Knowing Your HIV Status" : 03rd dec18 ~ E-Pao! Headlines

You are here: Home »

MSF supports global call for "Knowing Your HIV Status"
Source: The Sangai Express

CCpur, December 02 2018: The International Medical Humanitarian Organization, Doctors without Borders Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) joined global organisations in commemorating "World AIDS Day".

Reiterating the global focus on "Know your HIV status", MSF teams organized a week long awareness raising programme in both Churachandpur and Moreh.

A voluntary counselling and testing camp was also set up in Tengnoupal considering HIV testing is essential for people to be able to access HIV prevention, treatment and care services.

"We pre-identified five vulnerable communities where our team comprising a health educator, a counsellor and a translator conducted awareness camps.

The idea was to reach people in the community and through activities, start a dialogue about how getting tested is the first step to treat a chronic illness like HIV/AIDS.

Understanding social stigma that continues to be attached to the disease and discourages people from seeking treatment and sometimes even ignorance where people continue living with HIV/AIDS not knowing their status, it's important to encourage them to know their status, educate them about the illness, the reason they should get tested and how it is treatable and not the end of life", said Dr Shougrakpam Jeetesh Singh.

World AIDS Day

Participation in this event demonstrated the organization's support for people living with HTV/AIDS and helped in raising awareness on how HrV/AIDS does not spread through touching, shaking hands or living in close proximity with an infected person but only through blood, unprotected sexual contact and from an infected mother to her child during pregnancy.

Since 2004, MSF has been offering specialized treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) in Manipur.

Currently, around 2100 PLHTV are being offered anti-retroviral treatment (including advanced regimen) alongside counselling and education through three clinics in towns of Churachandpur, Chakpikarong & Moreh.

Diagnosis and treatment of opportunistic infections, tuberculosis (including drug resistant tuberculosis) & hepatitis C are also a part of care being offered by MSF.

These apart, MSF routinely organizes community education meetings and prevention campaigns.

In India, MSF provides free HIV care and treatment in both Mumbai, Manipur and Patna.

* This news is as published by respected news daily at Imphal, whose name is duly marked as 'Source'. E-Pao.net is not responsible for it's sanctity & originality.

* Comments posted by users in this discussion thread and other parts of this site are opinions of the individuals posting them (whose user ID is displayed alongside) and not the views of e-pao.net. We strongly recommend that users exercise responsibility, sensitivity and caution over language while writing your opinions which will be seen and read by other users. Please read a complete Guideline on using comments on this website.