India: HIV Positive Patients Start a Support Group

Several HIV-positive patients in Nashik, India, have formed a support group called Network of People and Children Living with HIIV (NPCLH) and registered it as a charity organization. The organization, composed of two men and five women, aims to not only identify HIV patients and fight for their health care issues, but also to strengthen confidence among persons with HIV, help them regain self respect, and improve their quality of life. The organization began two years ago and was given a legal framework in October 2012. A nongovernmental organization, Yash Foundation, has helped and guided NPCLH. Members of NPCLH have visited treatment centers to interact with other patients, fought for proper treatment for patients in hospitals, traced and counseled patients and their relatives, cooked meals for patients and their families during hospital stays, and provided legal aid.

The group has also worked to rehabilitate people based on their education and ability to work. NPCLH works with 300 HIV-positive people. Some women who are not willing or are unable to leave their homes to work are provided with work that they can do from home. A large number of people with HIV have been employed in engineering, pharmaceuticals, and other companies. The organization is planning to open a hostel to house women and children and maybe some men. They have received donations of money for the project, but have not yet found available land.

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