An open letter to the Chief Minister for More Shelter Home For the Children Living with HIV
Tarit Chakraborty
To, The Hon’ble Chief Minister, Writers Building, Kolkata-700001, West Bengal.
Subject:- An open letter to the Chief Minister for More Shelter Home For the Children Living with HIV.
Respected Madam,
Bengal Network for People Living with HIV/AIDS (BNP+) is a state level network which is initiated by Indian Network for People Living with HIV/AIDS (INP+) by re-uniting the various PLHIV networks such as Enjoy-Howrah, Enjoy-Kolkata, CINI Bandhan, Bhorukha Bhalobasa and KNP+ in 26th of August 2004.The Executive Committee of the BNP+ was introduced to the Director of WBSAP&CS by the President of INP+.Currently we have over 10,000 members in all over West Bengal.We Have 20 District level Network out of 19 Districts in West Bengal.
Our MISSION is:
To improve the quality of People Living with HIV/AIDS in West Bengal.
We are trying to reach towards our Mission. But all of us know this is not very easy task. Every steps we are facing lots of stigma and discrimination, especially we are facing lots of problem with our children(Infected and Affected).
Unicef, in association with us (Bengal Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS) [BNP+], has conducted a mapping of HIV positive children in the state. According to the study, a whopping 83% of the children covered inherited the deadly disease from their mothers while the rest were infected through blood transfusion.
The two-year study covered 18 districts across the state and mapped 1,639 children from 995 families where either of the parents or both are HIV positive. Of them, 857 children were found infected with the virus. North 24-Parganas topped the list with 124 infected children, followed by South 24-Parganas, with 78 children, while 72 were traced in Kolkata.
Since about 72% of the families fall under the below poverty line category, most are unable to travel that far to avail the facilities.
The mapping, however, covered only children of parents who are members of HIV positive network. According to West Bengal State AIDS Prevention and Control Society (WBSAPCS), the state has about 1500 HIV positive children.
If you look into our HIV Positive Network across West Bengal we have over 3000 children and near about 2000 children are living with HIV. Most of them are orphan; some of them are single orphan. In that case old grand father or old grand mother is the guardian some time those children are passing their childhood with other relatives, who are not willing to maintain them properly because they have also their family, they want to concentrate their family only. In that situation those children are not getting proper medication and also proper care which is very essential to them. When our Out Reach Workers are visiting their house those guardian are interested for the shelter home for that child.
In our state we have some NGOs like Offer,Borukha etc.. they have shelter home,they are keeping our HIV infected children,but they have also limitation but our infected children who’s guardian are willing to keep those children in the shelter home, these type of number is very high.
We have so many general home for the children, but the problem they do not know how to care to HIV infected children; they do not know what the importance of the drug adherence is when it is Anti Retroviral Drug. They need to be more sensitized on it. Then only we can solve our problem.
Madam, all of us know (HIV Positive Community) it very well that you are very kind enough towards us, especially for the HIV Positive women and Children. Please Madam, look into this matter as soon as possible from your busy schedule.
Hope we will get positive response from your end very soon.
Thanks and Regards,
Tarit Chakraborty, Secretary BNP+,  |