SHILLONG: Meghalaya, where nearly 500 people have died of AIDS in the last 10 years, is facing a mammoth task of implementing various programmes to tide over the crisis.
The statistics were revealed at a programme to observe the International AIDS candlelight memorial organised by the Meghalaya State Network of Positive People (MNSP+) and supported by the Meghalaya AIDS Control Society (MACS) here in the city on Saturday.
Altogether 493 people died from 2007 till date and out of the 3,261 people living with HIV/AIDS, only around 1,800 are registered with MNSP+. There are 162 infected children, it was informed.
The programme was a symbolic reminder of all who died. It also dealt with the multifaceted social, emotional, physical, economical and political struggles that all HIV patients go through every day.
Earlier, a mother of three children in her testimony shared a bitter experience after she and one of her children were diagnosed with the disease.
She said her family disowned her and the eight-year-old child had to go out and work.
“My children love me and that is the reason why I decided to live for them,” she added.
Senior Congress MLA Charles Pyngrope, who was present on the occasion, said cases of AIDS are rising in the state and this is among the most pressing and urgent of global challenges with lives and livelihood at stake.
Pyngrope said he was moved by the words spoken by the woman in her testimony and offered to help her with Rs 10,000.
When the audience applauded him, Pyngrope said, “No, I should not be appreciated for that as I feel that is a duty of each and every citizen and each and every person among us to spread this word that we need to help these people then only we can say our society is growing in love and in passion otherwise we are all sick, we all have some diseases. My appeal to all is let’s put our hands together.”
He said anyone could be a victim as “AIDS does not discriminate”.
“We single out the vulnerable, the oppressed and we single out the abused. Therefore we ignore them, we let them suffer and sometimes we let them die,” he said, adding that the key vitals to ending AIDS is mobilising and empowering the next generation for social change.
The Congress leader also said he would take up the matter with Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and urge him “to do something for MSNP+”.
