Guwahati, February 19: A unique consultation brought together HIV positive people from Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram.

The main thrust of the meeting was to consolidate and expand the role that State-level networks of HIV positive people can play at the regional level.

Having initiated many supportive and collaborative actions in their States, 35 representatives gathered to exchange experiences and learnings and develop mechanisms to ensure greater involvement of HIV positive people.

They called for greater partnerships between networks, Government agencies and civil society organizations to effectively scale up the response to HIV in the North East region.

The four-day consultation was organized by the Indian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (INP+) and supported by DFID (Department for International Development).

Jahnabi Goswami, vice president, INP+, said, �The need of the hour is a strong alliance that can become a platform for fighting stigma.

As positive people we want to contribute to effective policy making.

We want to ensure enough resources are committed for people living with HIV in the North East�.

Dr Kh Pramod Kumar, Project Director, Manipur State AIDS Control Society, said, �We have to fight the epidemic together and positive people�s involvement is vital to the programme�.

Savita (name changed), peer counselor, at the ART Centre in Guwahati Medical College said that the need for involvement of positive people as service providers has been felt since long but it has been a slow process.

�As a peer counsellor I know the difference a positive person can make for those accessing services�.

Stigma and discrimination has been a barrier in positive people�s involvement in the programme.

Though the network has around 200 members only a few are actively involved in activities due to fear of being stigmatized.

Positive people said the more people disclose their status, it will be easy to plan delivery of services.

A number of positive people do not access existing services or bear treatment expenses on their own due to fear of stigma and discrimination.

�We must realize that positive people�s involvement in the intervention will reduce stigma and discrimination and improve existing services,� said Roshmi.

Udita Salam, member of the steering committee APN+ (Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS), said, �It is equally important that positive women are also involved in the decision making process so that vital issues related to them are not overlooked.

A gender balanced involvement is necessary�.

Positive people said greater involvement of positive people has time and again shown an increase in service access and overall improvement in well-being of positive people.

The State Networks in partnership with INP+ is consulting with the State AIDS Agencies, civil society organizations and network members to emerge with State specific plans to ensure participation of positive people.

Alwin, INP+, said, �INP+ has proposed formation of State Community Advisory Boards which will work with and provide vital inputs to the State AIDS Agencies.

National and regional level networks all over India have accepted this partnership model which is awaiting the approval of National AIDS Control Organization�.

Ratan, Manipur Network of Positive People and Coordinator Avahan MNP+, stated that it is a proposal that would provide immense scope for involvement of positive people in all aspects of decision making.

�Manipur has shown that such a model can work at the State level during ARV rollout in the state of Manipur.

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