Shillong, Oct 17: HIV and AIDS is not a mere health issue its occurrence is influenced by a number of socio-economic elements. Health interventions alone, therefore, cannot lead to its prevention. Its prevention requires a concerted collaborative effort from all organizations in public life through their work and programmes. This integrated, inclusive and multi-sectoral approach transfers the ownership of HIV and AIDS issues – including its direct and indirect causes, impact and response to various stakeholders, including the government, the corporate sector and civil society organisations.
The focus of all organisations in mainstreaming is to adapt their core business to respond to the challenges of HIV/AIDS. Loss of skilled employees Large expenditure on healthcare, orphan care and social welfare Negative impact on programmes relating to education, livelihood, social welfare, women and child health Reduced revenues and lower returns on social investment. Similarly, within the work of the corporate and business sector, HIV and AIDS can pose a serious threat to corporate performance through lowered productivity or disruption of operations and increased cost of employee healthcare.
In order to check the emergence of such a situation, HIV and AIDS prevention, care and treatment is mainstreamed in all government schemes and activities, corporate sector and civil society. The latter contributes by awareness building on HIV and AIDS issues, especially among the poor and high risk groups.
In this connection a One Day State Level Sensitization Training Programme on Mainstreaming and Partnership on HIV and AIDS for Traditional Healers members of SPIKAP of Meghalaya was organised by Meghalaya AIDS Control Society in collaboration with Nongkrem Youth Development Association (NYDA) & the Society for Promotion of Indigenous Knowledge and Practice (SPIKAP) was heled at Don Bosco Youth Centre, Laitumkhrah, Shillong where more than seventy one people participate in it.
The meeting was inaugurated by the Chief Guest, Shri John F. Kharshiing, Co-Chairman, Meghalaya State Planning Board, Govt of Meghalaya & Chairman, Society for Promotion of Indigenous Knowledge and Practice (SPIKAP) in the presence of Dr (Mrs) E. Chyne, Project Director, Meghalaya AIDS Control Society, Shillong, members of Nongkrem Youth Development Association (NYDA) and the Programme Officers of Meghalaya AIDS Control Society, Shillong and the main objective of the programme was to sensitize traditional healers with influence in the community on the Basic Facts of HIV and AIDS, Myths & Misconception of HIV and AIDS, Stigma & discrimination on PLHIVs, Available services on Counselling, Testing & Treatment of HIV and other related issues, Universal Precaution and HIV and Management of Sexually Transmitted Infections and referrals to Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres in Meghalaya.
The training ended with a concluding note from the Chairman, SPIKAP, Shillong, who urged the traditional healers to make all out efforts to spread this information in their respective areas and villages.
He reminded the traditional healers about the message of the former President of India Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, when he met a delegation of 20 healers from Meghalaya in June 2003, the then President of India had urged the traditional healers to use modern science to promote and enhance traditional knowledge.(SP News)
