Andhra Pradesh

Houses to HIV affected in IAY scheme

Kakinada: East Godavari Collector M.Subrahmanyam has assured that houses under Indira Aawas Yojana (IAY) scheme would be sanctioned to the HIV infected and affected people but wanted the non-governmental organisations to extend financial assistance required additionally for the houses construction, as the Rs.25,000 per unit would not be sufficient. Participating as the chief guest in the district-level workshop on dissemination and action planning on assisting the HIV infected and affected people under the ‘Balasahayoga’ project here on Wednesday, he said, priority would be accorded to the HIV infected and affected people in income generation activities, education and welfare schemes.

Conceding that the facilities at the ART centres in the district are inadequate, the Collector has assured to strengthen these centres and also provide temporary accommodation facility to the patients. He assured to submit proposals to government for issuing of bus passes to the HIV infected people to reach the hospitals for treatment. On providing educations facilities, he said, preference would be shown to the HIV infected in getting admissions in to the hostels enabling them to pursue their studies up to 10th class.

Expressing concern over the high rate of prevalence of HIV and AIDS in the district, he has called for concerted efforts by all the non-governmental organisations to prevent spread of the dreaded disease.

K.I.Jacob, Chief of St. Paul’s Trust, said that the workshop was jointly organised by the district AIDS Control Society, Family Health International (FHI), Children’s Investment Fund for Foundation Support (CIFF), Clinton Foundation (CF) and CARE organisations. He said the workshop would analyse the district situational analysis reports submitted by the team of consultants for preparation of a district action plan. It will also outline the present status of HIV infected and affected children and households with respect to income, education, health, nutrition status and psycho-social needs.

P. J. Naidu, Professor of economics and statistics, SV University who conducted the district situational analysis said that East Godavari was in the forefront in all fields but regretted leading in incidence of HIV and AIDS also which is a matter of serious concern to all. David Damaria CIFF representative and K.Nanda Kishore programme coordinator of Clinton Foundation also gave status reports on the HIV infected and affected children.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu