On the eve of World AIDS Day, Public Awareness for Healthful Approach for Living (PAHAL) organised a free HIV-AIDS awareness, counselling and detection camp at Meethapur Bus Stand, Patna. Addressing the gathering, Medical Director PAHAL and Noted AIDS Specalist, Dr Diwakar Tejaswi stated that the discrimination against People Living with HIV AIDS (PLWHA) is still a matter of concern. Dr Tejaswi stated that according to National AIDS Control organization (NACO) there were around 1,20,000 PLWHA’s estimated in Bihar but only around 40,000 have been identified by the end of 2009. HIV testing facilities needs to be urgently expanded in Bihar. HIV viral load estimation facility and HIV genotypic resistant testing facility is still not available in Bihar which is causing great problems for AIDS patients with failing drug regimens.
In the late evening a candlelight memorial was also organised at J P Golambar, Patna in the name of those who died due to this deadly disease and to reaffirm their commitment to keep working against the spread of this menace and for care and support of PLWHA’s. Those who were present on the ocassion included Dr Mrs Kiran Sharan, Anand Dwivedi, Prof Nalini Ranjan Kumar, Mrs Krishna Kumar, Neelima Gupta, Pawan Kumar, Dr Dhruv Kumar, Mr Kamlesh Mishra and Ms. Leena Mishra.