State Level ADC Forum on AIDS formed
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, September 09 2013: With an aim to bring about strong political commitment towards effectively combating HIV/AIDS in the State, the Autonomous District Council, Manipur came together to discuss the issues of HIV/AIDS epidemic in State and unanimously resolved to a form a State Level Autonomous District Councilors Forum on AIDS.

Accordingly, MLA Chaltolien Amo, who is the Chairman of Hill Area Committee (HAC), has also been appointed as the Chairman of the newly formed Forum which would have Health Minister Phungzathang Tonsing as the Chief Patron.

Vice Chairman of HAC Kikhonbou Newmai will be the Secretary while all the Vice Chairmen of the HAC will also be the Vice Chairmen of the Forum.

The decision to this effect was arrived at during a day-long State Level Convention on Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS for Autonomous District Council Members at Jubilee Hall, RIMS here today.

The event was organized by Hill Area Committee (HAC) under the sponsorship of Manipur State AIDS Control Society (MACS) and it was supported by Manipur Legislators' Forum on AIDS.

Resolving to undertake various steps in the interests of the humanity and to set examples to drive others into action, the Autonomous District Council, Manipur has also come up with a declaration termed as the "Imphal Declaration of Manipur State Autonomous District Councilors", with the promise to halt and reverse spread of HIV and AIDS epidemic in the State.

The steps to be undertaken by the ADCs in this regard included to advocate the rights of the people and see that the people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS are not subjected to stigma and discrimination; to create a Autonomous District Councilors' Forum on HIV/AIDS of Manipur and to monitor the State's response to the epidemic; to draft policies guaranteeing universal access to information, prevention, treatment, care and support for the alleviation of HIV/AIDS; to adopt special measures to protect youth and children from HIV/AIDS and address the feminization of the epidemic through gender sensitive empowerment programme; to ensure dissemination of the correct HIV/AIDS information through State Information and Public Relation Departments, expansion media as well as e-governance/information outlets; to work towards mitigating the impact of the epidemic at large and encourage sex-education at the appropriate levels in the educational institutions along with prevention of drug use, etc.

At the end of the convention, the members of ADC and all the participants present on the occasion solemnly pledged to jointly fight against HIV/AIDS tirelessly to make Manipur a HIV/AIDS free State.

Earlier, while addressing the convention as the Chief Guest, Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam pointed out the need to set up a district forum to fight the AIDS epidemic and exhorted that we all should come together and make Manipur a HIV/AIDS free State.

Health Minister Phungzathang Tonsing, who was also present and spoke as Chief Host of the event, noted that there has been no improvement in the State as far as control of HIV/AIDS is concerned with over 2335 children already infected with HIV/AIDS.

All the concerned working in the field of HIV/AIDS lack sincerity.

Just organizing awareness programme on HIV/AIDS will not serve any good.

There is the urgent need to implement all programmes with sincerity and concern, he maintained.

The Minister also pointed out the need to control the spread of the epidemic from the grass root level and change the system of taking up HIV control programmes in the State.

Today's convention was also attended by MLA Dr I Ibohalbi, Secretary, Manipur Legislator's Forum on AIDS; Dr Chaltolien Amo, Chairman, HAC; R Sudan, Project Director of MACS as presidium members.

The annual report of MACS, 2011-12 was also released on the occasion.

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