THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Close on the heels of the recent notification of HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Act, 2017, by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Kerala State AIDS Control Society (KSACS) has requested the state government to frame rules for the said Act.
It has also stressed the need to appoint an ombudsman for inquiring into the violations of the provisions of the Act.“A request has been submitted to the government for framing the rules and appointment of an ombudsman. With the Act getting notified, the rights of HIV/AIDS affected persons will now have legal binding,” said KSACS project director Dr R Ramesh. While saying the Act is meant to put an end to the discrimination being faced by HIV/AIDS affected persons, Ramesh added it also envisions informed consent for conducting an HIV test.
The Act that safeguards the rights of people living with HIV envisages legal accountability and calls for a formal mechanism for inquiring into complaints and redressing grievances. “The Act prohibits any discrimination against persons with HIV and AIDS. The discrimination the affected persons had to face in employment and educational establishments and others will now be addressed as they could raise the same with the ombudsman,” said Ramesh.
NGOs working among HIV-affected persons say the major takeaway of the Act will be the prohibition to undergo HIV testing as a pre-requisite for obtaining employment or accessing healthcare or education. The NGOs have also stressed the need for taking up awareness campaigns among the affected to sensitise them about the Act.
When asked, Ramesh said, “KSACS is already conducting awareness programmes among the affected. In the wake of the Act, we will strengthen it to make them aware of the Act and their rights.” In the backdrop of the Supreme Court verdict that has decriminalised gay sex, KSACS has decided to strengthen its intervention among high-risk groups, including sex workers, sexually active gay men and transgenders.