By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 8: The State Health Advisory Board has been assigned a project on commercial sex workers given the increase in HIV/AIDS cases in the state.
“We thought it would be in the fitness of things to give the board this assignment to shatter the belief that it is made up of political appointees,” Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh said after a meeting with the members of the board chaired by UDP legislator Mayralborn Syiem.
“The project is to ensure positive steps for the commercial sex workers,” she said.
The advisory board will look at what the government can do for the sex workers and understand the challenges they face with increasing HIV/AIDS cases, she said.
Not discussing the issue of the sex workers would be akin to shirking responsibilities as a citizen, Lyngdoh said.
A proper assessment of the problems faced by the sex workers would help the government take necessary steps to stop the situation from becoming explosive, she said.
She also said the board’s chairman favoured the study and proposed the inclusion of traditional medicines, healing, and practices in dealing with the health issues of sex workers.
“We are getting adequate attention and financial inputs to give importance to our traditional healing system,” Lyngdoh said.
