They may not be particularly worried about contracting the disease itself, however, the thought of losing cherished family members owing to the stigma associated with the communicable disease is far more devastating.
Among them is A*, a newlywed who was diagnosed with the disease and within a week’s time, she was evicted from her home by her in-laws.
The situation was aggravated when her parents refused to accept her after which she is now helpless and has been given no quarter by the society.
“There are a number of people living with this disease in Pakistan who have been disowned by their family members and have also lost their jobs after being diagnosed with it,” The Association of People Living with HIV [APLHIV]-Pakistan National Coordinator Asghar Satti said.
APLHIV-Pakistan is a national network for the HIV community as well as associated key populations.
While talking to The Express Tribune Satti said that after being ostracised by society the hardest part for the afflicted is to look for secure shelter and a source of income to sustain their livelihood.
“There are many examples where people working at reputable organisations earning a handsome salary were asked to leave their job after being diagnosed with HIV/AIDs,” he added.
Moreover, the families of this marginalised community consider them to be a curse and burden, Satti further added.
Considering this harsh reality, the national network recently launched an empowerment cell under its umbrella to emancipate the HIV/AIDs community and key population economically.
Satti said that the motive behind the formation of the cell is to encourage members of the community to come forward with their expertise and turn this expertise into opportunities for livelihood.
Among the community, there are some who are good at knitting, stitching, embroidery, artwork, carpentry, and sculpturing, the national coordinator explicated.
This initiative would pave the way for economic empowerment of the group and catalyse a reduction in dependency on others.
“Under this cell, transgender persons and sex workers who are also HIV/AIDs positive leading a miserable life mainly because of the stigma attached to this disease will be financially supported as well,” he elucidated.
The network will provide support to any volunteers to help them live a life of dignity and respect.
The initiative provides equal opportunities to all genders from marginalised communities to benefit from the cell.
It is expected that with the passage of time this cell will be expanded, the APLHIV-Pakistan head added.
According to official data, currently, there are nearly 100,000 people in the country living with HIV/AIDS, but only 15,370 cases have been registered at 21 HIV treatment centres.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 30th, 2017.
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