Imphal, June 30: Despite growing public awareness on HIV as a global health issue, it is said the preconceived notion of looking at the issue through the prism of moral perspective continue to haunt people living with HIV (PLWH) from leading a normal and productive life in the society, thus calling for a change in the attitude of the people towards PLWH.

It is against this backdrop that a week-long workshop on message development for effective social communication to overcome stigma and discrimination towards people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) was held at Hotel Prag Continental, Guwahati from June 27 to 29.Organised as part of the Overcoming Stigma and Discrimination (OSD) Project of the Australia International Health Institute (AIHI), which is under the Nossai Institute for Global Health, University of Melbourne in collaboration with Emmanuel Hospital Association (EHA)-Project Orchid, the main objective of the workshop was to develop media materials for the purpose of synergising various communication channels to remove social stigma and discrimination against PLWH.

The OSD Project is being implemented currently in the two North Eastern States Of Manipur and Nagaland.

Media persons and creative artistes including documentary film makers, script writers, copy writers, illustrators from Nagaland and Manipur participated workshop.

The main highlight of the workshop was to study and analyse various possible medium through which the issues related to PLWHAs could be effective communicated to the general masses.

The workshop emphasised on presenting the image of PLWHAs as normal, constructive and fun loving person and to dispel the myth surrounding HIV like fear of casual transmission in media campaign.

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