Conflicts And Crises Intensify The Need For Gender Equality And Health Equity
The ongoing conflict in South Sudan has disempowered and traumatised the marginalised people like LGBTQI+ community, people living with HIV, sex workers and people with disability. There is physical violence, domestic violence, and sexual abuse, shared Rachel Adau, Executive Director of the Women's Empowerment Centre South Sudan, that works for the empowerment of socially disadvantaged and excluded groups in South Sudan.
In the words of Rachel, 'Our healthcare system is breaking down. Maternal and child healthcare is at its worst because the health facilities have no services to offer. There is also increased risk of communicable diseases. Right now there is a cholera outbreak in South Sudan due to contaminated river water. People who live along the river have no access to clean water. There is food insecurity due to the conflict. Malnutrition and anemia in young women and pregnant and lactating mothers and children under five is high. There is a high dropout rate of girls from schools as they do not have dignity kits. All this is resulting in mental health issues too.'
Rachel explained that South Sudan has two judicial systems - the constitution and the customary traditional laws. As per tradition, 'men are perceived as the bread winners' and South Sudanese women are considered to be the minority gender. They have no access to resources or decision making, and no voice in leadership. As per the constitution all women in South Sudan have equal rights, but they are unable to exercise them due to poor implementation of the laws. For example, even though they have a legal right to own property, most often they are denied this right because of their gender. Also perpetrators of gender-based violence go unpunished.
It is indeed unfortunate that household and care work done by girls and women is unpaid, undervalued and under-recognised. Same goes for sexual and reproductive labour. If girls and women had equitable access to education, social support services, workforce participation and rights, then it could herald some hope. But as of now, harmful narratives and gender norms fuelled by deeply entrenched patriarchy are confronting gender equality, not only in Sudan, but in many other countries of Asia and Africa.
Warn-torn Lebanon
The situation in war-torn Lebanon is no better. The escalation of Israel's military operations has unleashed a profound and cascading humanitarian crises. More than 1 million people in Lebanon have fled their homes since September 2024. Israeli strikes have killed around 4000 people in Lebanon and thousands of buildings and houses have been destroyed. Hospitals and healthcare facilities have been bombed.
The conflict has exacerbated existing inequalities, leading to increased vulnerability and challenges in accessing basic needs and services. The cost of physical damages and economic losses due to the conflict in Lebanon is estimated at US$ 8.5 billion, according to a World Bank report. In terms of economic growth, the conflict is estimated to have cut Lebanon's GDP growth by an estimated 9% in 2024.
The vulnerable and marginalised groups - women and girls, gender diverse individuals, people living with HIV, people with disabilities, elderly and others have been the worst affected, shared Bertho Makso who works with the International Planned Parenthood Federation at its Arab World Regional Office in Lebanon and leads regional community engagement and networks. Bertho is also co-founder of Proud Lebanon, an organisation that provides support for the LGBTQI+ community.
Bertho is grateful to IPPF for supporting Proud Lebanon through the Lebanese Association For Family Health (SALAMA) to provide critical humanitarian support focusing on sexual and reproductive health and mental healthcare and outreach for the LGBTQI+ individuals and for people living with HIV. They have provided free medical services (including mental health services), specialised services and lifesaving antiretroviral therapy services to people living with HIV and hormonal therapy for transgenders in a dignified manner.
Extreme Climate events taking their toll
According to Nelly Munyasia, Executive Director at Reproductive Health Network of Kenya, the Global South continues to face many humanitarian crises. 'We face floods, we face hunger, we also face war, and women and girls and the LGBTQI+ community continue to be the most affected. There is an increase in gender-based violence, disrupted access to essential services like education and healthcare, heightened risk of women and girls facing sexual exploitation, early marriage, intimate partner violence and displacement. We have seen young girls during this period being forced to get married so that maybe their family can get some 'bride price,' or because they do not want the young girls to be a burden as they flee the conflict areas."
"There is also disruption in education and healthcare services. When roads are broken, girls and women are not able to cross over the river banks, which disrupts their education and affects access to healthcare. Women who need antenatal care (medical and supportive care a woman receives during her pregnancy), or contraceptives and family planning, people living HIV who need their routine medicine refills- they are not able to access them because of either conflict or the flood crisis. Large scale displacement, food insecurity, and breakdown of social structures - all of these expose women to increased sexual exploitation."
Constitutional promises vs regressive GCD in Kenya
Nelly comes down heavily (and rightly so) on Kenya hosting the 2nd Pan-African Conference on Family Values- an event which is being opposed by those who support bodily autonomy, gender equality and human rights and believe in gender diversity where no one is left behind.
'Kenya has not only signed the contentious and regressive 'Geneva Consensus Declaration (GCD)' but it will also be hosting the so-called family values conference in May 2025. This is very problematic because it creates an environment for the anti-rights movement to penetrate deeper into policy spaces of Kenya. We continue as a movement to call out and speak against this regressive group of individuals who purport to be ensuring that they are restoring African values, but what they are trying to preach is not African- for example, when they talk about killing of the LGBTQI+ community and when they spread hatred then these are neither African or human values. Kenya's constitution is very clear in terms of providing services to all, including reproductive health services, but most importantly protecting life. So keeping in mind the disinformation peddled by the anti-rights groups, we should focus on ensuring that we implement the constitution. We must hold the government accountable and also support the government so that when opposition strikes they can deal with the anti-rights groups, so that everyone enjoys their rights not only in Kenya but Africa as a whole," she says.
The recent report of the Lancet Commission on Gender and Global Health, while emphasising the critical link between gender justice and global health equity, also acknowledges the rise of anti-gender ideologies and the need to counter their harmful effects on global health and gender equality. It says- "We are in 'the fight of our lives' against the anti-gender rhetoric and a rollback of gender rights. Now is a crucial moment in time to turn the tide on the rise of anti-gender rhetoric and to increase understanding of the importance of gender in public health."
Let us work together for a feminist and gender-just inclusive world order where everyone has equal rights, equal dignity and equal access and control of resources, irrespective of their caste, creed or gender identity. Gender inequality and toxic masculinity must end with us.
Shobha Shukla – CNS (Citizen News Service)
(Shobha Shukla is the award-winning founding Managing Editor and Executive Director of CNS (Citizen News Service) and is a feminist, health and development justice advocate. She is a former senior Physics faculty of prestigious Loreto Convent College and current Coordinator of Asia Pacific Regional Media Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT Media) and Chairperson of Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA received AMR One Health Emerging Leaders and Outstanding Talents Award 2024). She also coordinates SHE & Rights initiative (Sexual health with equity & rights). Follow her on Twitter @shobha1shukla or read her writings here www.bit.ly/ShobhaShukla)
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Factory Farms and the Growing Threat of Zoonotic Pandemics The intensification of industrial agriculture has amplified these risks. The crowded, high-density conditions of factory farms create a breeding ground for disease. Animals raised in confined spaces experience high levels of stress, which weakens their immune systems and increases their susceptibility to infections. When a pathogen emerges in this environment, it can mutate rapidly and spread with alarming efficiency. This is particularly concerning with influenza viruses, which frequently originate in birds and pigs before adapting to humans. Bird flu has been detected in sheep, raising concerns about the virus's ability to cross species boundaries. Such a discovery underscores the unpredictability of zoonotic diseases, particularly in terms of cross-species transmission and the potential for rapid evolution of health threats. Philip Lymbery, author and global CEO of Compassion in World Farming, thinks the danger is serious: 'Factory farms are a ticking time bomb for future pandemics,' he says. 'Hundreds of coronaviruses are in circulation, most of them among animals including pigs, camels, bats, and cats. Sometimes those viruses jump to humans.' Antibiotics, widely used in industrial farming to promote growth and prevent disease, exacerbate the issue. Overuse has led to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which can jump to humans through direct exposure, contaminated food, or environmental runoff from farms. The World Health Organization has repeatedly warned that antibiotic resistance could become one of the greatest threats to human health, rendering common infections untreatable. COVID-19 was a wake-up call, but it was not the first time a zoonotic virus wreaked havoc on global health. 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However, emerging innovations in food technology present possible solutions. Precision fermentation and cultivated meat are being explored as methods to reduce dependence on traditional livestock. Precision fermentation, which is used to produce dairy-identical proteins without the need for cows, utilizes engineered microbes to create compounds such as whey and casein. Cultivated milk, bio-identical to cow milk but grown in a bioreactor rather than in a cow, is expected to enter the market soon. Cultivated meat, grown from animal cells in bioreactors, provides real meat without the need for slaughterhouses or crowded factory farms. These technologies have the potential to transform global protein production, significantly lowering the risk of zoonotic disease spillover. Because they bypass live animals, they eliminate the risks associated with confined feeding operations, antibiotic resistance, and cross-species viral mutations. 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We Can Do Better So That All People With HIV Live Healthy Normal Lifespans
Article – CNS People living with HIV must take care of ones mental health and wellbeing, adhere to HIV treatment to stay undetectable and take care of life-style related diseases and ageing-related issues. Love oneself. Stay healthy. And have a health-seeking behaviour to ensure all of us get to age with rights and remain disease-free. People living with HIV must take care of one's mental health and wellbeing, adhere to HIV treatment to stay undetectable (because when undetectable equals untransmittable, then they remain healthy and live normal and disease-free lifespans as well as ensure there is zero risk of any further HIV transmission), and take care of life-style related diseases and ageing-related issues, said Daxa Patel, co-founder of National Coalition of People living with HIV in India (NCPI Plus) who has played a key role in founding of Gujarat State Network of People living with HIV too. Everyone has a right to age with rights and human dignity. Never-ever missed a dose since 2007 onwards Daxa was diagnosed with HIV in 1998. Indian government's free rollout of lifesaving antiretroviral therapy began in 2004. But her lifesaving HIV treatment began 9 years later (in 2007 onwards), as per then-eligibility criteria of the WHO and Indian government. Recognising the importance of treatment and health literacy and treatment adherence, she has never-ever missed her dose since then. Daxa advises simple ways like setting up daily mobile reminders to take every dose correctly and at the right time. Last month, Daxa had recently led the organising of a national dialogue and stakeholder consultation in India's national capital Delhi along with her colleagues like Pooja Mishra (Secretary NCPI Plus) and Manoj Pardeshi (co-founder NCPI Plus and leader of a successful social enterprise Taal+ Pharmacy) and other members of NCPI Plus. Alongside this meeting, almost 30 eligible women with HIV were also screened for breast cancer onsite (using a point-of-care thermal screening tool of Niramai Health Analytix). NCPI Plus members from across India learnt a lot from experts on human papilloma virus or HPV (a virus which causes around 95% of cervical cancers along with other health issues in all genders), India's first indigenously developed and validated molecular diagnostics for HPV (Truenat HPV-HR Plus developed by Molbio Diagnostics – announced by the Indian government in April 2025), and on ensuring how people with HIV age healthily and with rights. Daxa was speaking at a special event to mark HIV Long-Term Survivors' Awareness Day 2025 and ahead of 10th Asia Pacific AIDS and Co-Infections Conference (APACC 2025), 2nd Asia Pacific Conference on Point-of-Care Diagnostics for Infectious Diseases (POC 2025) and 13th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2025). Eliminate delays in rolling out scientifically approved and validated health tools According to WHO: 'People living with HIV who have an undetectable viral load using any WHO-approved test and continue taking medication as prescribed, have zero risk of transmitting HIV to their sexual partner(s).' Agrees Dr Gilada: 'Science has proven that if people with HIV are on lifesaving antiretroviral therapy and remain virally suppressed, then there is zero risk of any further transmission of HIV from them to anyone else. This is referred to as #UequalsU or undetectable equals untransmittable.' But, in 2023, over 1.3 million people were newly diagnosed with HIV worldwide – despite the science-backed tools to prevent HIV transmission. We can do better to save lives, says Dr Gilada. We need to bridge the deadly divide between 'what we know works' and 'what we do.' Dr Ishwar Gilada is part of the International AIDS Society (IAS) Governing Council, serves as President-Emeritus of AIDS Society of India (ASI – India's network of medical doctors and scientists of HIV and co-infections and co-morbidities), and CEO of Unison Medicare and Research Centre (UMRC), India. He is the longest serving HIV medical expert in India who had established India's first HIV clinic in government-run JJ Hospital when first HIV case got confirmed in the country. Government of India's National AIDS Control Programme began in 1992, seven years after a civil society group (People's Health Organisation – PHO) was consistently raising HIV awareness. There was a 9-years delay in rolling out government-run programme to prevent HIV transmission from mother to the child in 2001 despite PHO-Wadia safe motherhood model had demonstrated evidence and impact since 1992. Medicines like zidovudine was first used in rich nations over 30 years ago to reduce HIV risk of the unborn child of HIV positive parent(s) – and PHO-Wadia model had rolled these out back then in India too (though government's rollout took another 9 years to do so). Today we have far more effective treatment regimens available to ensure children are born free of HIV – and both mother and the child live healthy and normal lives. Likewise for the rollout of lifesaving antiretroviral therapy: In private sector it began 9 years before the government's programme in India (from 7 April 2004 onwards). Rollout of Dolutegravir – one of the most promising antiretroviral medicines – began 3-4 years later in government-run programme (2020) than private sector in the country (2017). Dr Gilada says we have a long journey ahead to pay adequate attention to quality of life too while we test and treat, care and support for people with HIV. He also points out that new HIV prevention methods that are validated and approved years back have not been rolled out in the country. For example, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is a HIV medicine that is for people who are HIV negative to reduce their risk of getting infected with the virus. PrEP is not part of India's HIV programme but available on online shopping websites. Likewise, HIV self-test is not yet rolled out as part of government's programme. HIV stigma has reduced but still lurks HIV stigma has reduced considerably over the last 4 decades but still lurks, says Daxa. 'Over the decades, life expectancy of people with HIV has increased due to improved efficacy of the treatment. CDC estimates that around half of all people with HIV are older than 50 years now. By 2030, 70% of all those with HIV would be over 50. With ageing comes new challenges (HIV-associated and non-HIV associated too),' said Dr Gilada. 'Sometimes I believe that people with HIV live better than non-HIV because they are always constantly under health supervision, monitoring and proactively seeking healthcare services which people who do not have HIV may not be getting.' Dr Gilada's Unison Medicare and Research Centre in Mumbai has several people living with HIV under care for over three decades. 'So, in a way we have provided paediatric to geriatric care for those with HIV.' Dr Gilada says that HIV stigma still exists but when he looks at socio-economic background of his patients under care, he often finds that those who are more educated and privileged are more likely to stigmatise and discriminate. 'We need to have a non-judgmental approach in all healthcare settings,' said Dr Gilada. Daxa shared that almost 23 years back, she was asked a whooping INR 16,000 to for pregnancy and child-birth related healthcare services. Dr Gilada calls upon all healthcare professionals including medical community to not charge extra for providing medical care to those with HIV. 'When #UequalsU and person, then where is the risk of HIV transmission?' Dr Gilada asks medical fraternity to follow the science and evidence and stop discriminating against those with HIV. Dr Gilada asks medical fraternity to think that those people who are not aware of their HIV status and seeking surgery, could be in the 'window period' or have had indulged in high HIV risk behaviours couple of days before too – so, best is to follow infection prevention and control measures universally. Dr Gilada appeals to surgeons, obstetricians and gynaecologists and other medical professionals, to not attend to people with HIV at the very last. 'Why discriminate?' He calls upon HIV community to leverage upon HIV/AIDS Act, 2017 and help end all forms of HIV related stigma and discrimination. 'But there is not a single case which has been filed under this law since 2017,' said Dr Gilada who had earlier mobilised several associations in the last 30 years to demand such a law. Dr Gilada cites a Mumbai High Court ruling according to which people living with HIV do not even have to disclose their identity (to maintain confidentiality) while seeking legal recourses for justice. We can do better! Managing HIV co-infections and co-morbidities is vital Dr Gilada reminds that along with lifesaving and effective antiretroviral therapy, healthcare workers need to regularly screen people with HIV for a range of co-infections and co-morbidities. Before beginning treatment for any other illness, drug to drug interaction needs to be considered for example. People with HIV are at a higher risk of some non-communicable diseases, such as, cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes and related complications, chronic respiratory diseases, mental health issues, and others. For example, Dr Gilada shared that risk of impaired glucose and insulin metabolism is double among those with HIV compared to those without the virus. TB, despite being preventable and curable, continues to be the biggest cause of deaths for people with HIV. 'No one needs to die from TB or HIV because we have science-based tools and approaches to avert these untimely deaths,' said Dr Gilada. Dr Gilada and Daxa both advocate for people with HIV to go for adult vaccinations to reduce the risk of or protect themselves from vaccine-preventable diseases. Dr Gilada points to several other concerns that must be considered while caring for people with HIV – and make all efforts to effectively address them in evidence-based and people-centred manner. For example, substance use (tobacco, alcohol, etc), genetics, menopause for women, hypertension, obesity, physical inactivity, poor engagement in healthcare, poverty, among others. Find your inner light: Purposeful and peaceful living is key Daxa Patel shares that we all need to care for our mental wellbeing and try to remain stress-free. Engaging with purposeful and spirited work to help others with HIV since 2002 onwards has helped her remain busy and meaningfully involved. 'It saved my life,' she said. We need to keep ourselves healthy and ensure that we do not let outside stigma and discrimination effect our sensibilities and wellbeing in any way. Shobha Shukla – CNS (Citizen News Service) (Shobha Shukla is the award-winning founding Managing Editor and Executive Director of CNS (Citizen News Service) and is a feminist, health and development justice advocate. She is a former senior Physics faculty of prestigious Loreto Convent College and current Coordinator of Asia Pacific Regional Media Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT Media) and Chairperson of Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA received AMR One Health Emerging Leaders and Outstanding Talents Award 2024). She also coordinates SHE & Rights initiative (Sexual health with equity & rights). Follow her on Twitter @shobha1shukla or read her writings here
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We Can Do Better So That All People With HIV Live Healthy Normal Lifespans
Love oneself. Stay healthy. And have a health-seeking behaviour to ensure all of us get to age with rights and remain disease-free. People living with HIV must take care of one's mental health and wellbeing, adhere to HIV treatment to stay undetectable (because when undetectable equals untransmittable, then they remain healthy and live normal and disease-free lifespans as well as ensure there is zero risk of any further HIV transmission), and take care of life-style related diseases and ageing-related issues, said Daxa Patel, co-founder of National Coalition of People living with HIV in India (NCPI Plus) who has played a key role in founding of Gujarat State Network of People living with HIV too. Everyone has a right to age with rights and human dignity. Never-ever missed a dose since 2007 onwards Daxa was diagnosed with HIV in 1998. Indian government's free rollout of lifesaving antiretroviral therapy began in 2004. But her lifesaving HIV treatment began 9 years later (in 2007 onwards), as per then-eligibility criteria of the WHO and Indian government. Recognising the importance of treatment and health literacy and treatment adherence, she has never-ever missed her dose since then. Daxa advises simple ways like setting up daily mobile reminders to take every dose correctly and at the right time. Last month, Daxa had recently led the organising of a national dialogue and stakeholder consultation in India's national capital Delhi along with her colleagues like Pooja Mishra (Secretary NCPI Plus) and Manoj Pardeshi (co-founder NCPI Plus and leader of a successful social enterprise Taal+ Pharmacy) and other members of NCPI Plus. Alongside this meeting, almost 30 eligible women with HIV were also screened for breast cancer onsite (using a point-of-care thermal screening tool of Niramai Health Analytix). NCPI Plus members from across India learnt a lot from experts on human papilloma virus or HPV (a virus which causes around 95% of cervical cancers along with other health issues in all genders), India's first indigenously developed and validated molecular diagnostics for HPV (Truenat HPV-HR Plus developed by Molbio Diagnostics – announced by the Indian government in April 2025), and on ensuring how people with HIV age healthily and with rights. Daxa was speaking at a special event to mark HIV Long-Term Survivors' Awareness Day 2025 and ahead of 10th Asia Pacific AIDS and Co-Infections Conference (APACC 2025), 2nd Asia Pacific Conference on Point-of-Care Diagnostics for Infectious Diseases (POC 2025) and 13th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2025). Eliminate delays in rolling out scientifically approved and validated health tools According to WHO: 'People living with HIV who have an undetectable viral load using any WHO-approved test and continue taking medication as prescribed, have zero risk of transmitting HIV to their sexual partner(s).' Agrees Dr Gilada: 'Science has proven that if people with HIV are on lifesaving antiretroviral therapy and remain virally suppressed, then there is zero risk of any further transmission of HIV from them to anyone else. This is referred to as #UequalsU or undetectable equals untransmittable.' But, in 2023, over 1.3 million people were newly diagnosed with HIV worldwide – despite the science-backed tools to prevent HIV transmission. We can do better to save lives, says Dr Gilada. We need to bridge the deadly divide between 'what we know works' and 'what we do.' Dr Ishwar Gilada is part of the International AIDS Society (IAS) Governing Council, serves as President-Emeritus of AIDS Society of India (ASI – India's network of medical doctors and scientists of HIV and co-infections and co-morbidities), and CEO of Unison Medicare and Research Centre (UMRC), India. He is the longest serving HIV medical expert in India who had established India's first HIV clinic in government-run JJ Hospital when first HIV case got confirmed in the country. Government of India's National AIDS Control Programme began in 1992, seven years after a civil society group (People's Health Organisation – PHO) was consistently raising HIV awareness. There was a 9-years delay in rolling out government-run programme to prevent HIV transmission from mother to the child in 2001 despite PHO-Wadia safe motherhood model had demonstrated evidence and impact since 1992. Medicines like zidovudine was first used in rich nations over 30 years ago to reduce HIV risk of the unborn child of HIV positive parent(s) – and PHO-Wadia model had rolled these out back then in India too (though government's rollout took another 9 years to do so). Today we have far more effective treatment regimens available to ensure children are born free of HIV - and both mother and the child live healthy and normal lives. Likewise for the rollout of lifesaving antiretroviral therapy: In private sector it began 9 years before the government's programme in India (from 7 April 2004 onwards). Rollout of Dolutegravir - one of the most promising antiretroviral medicines - began 3-4 years later in government-run programme (2020) than private sector in the country (2017). Dr Gilada says we have a long journey ahead to pay adequate attention to quality of life too while we test and treat, care and support for people with HIV. He also points out that new HIV prevention methods that are validated and approved years back have not been rolled out in the country. For example, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is a HIV medicine that is for people who are HIV negative to reduce their risk of getting infected with the virus. PrEP is not part of India's HIV programme but available on online shopping websites. Likewise, HIV self-test is not yet rolled out as part of government's programme. HIV stigma has reduced but still lurks HIV stigma has reduced considerably over the last 4 decades but still lurks, says Daxa. 'Over the decades, life expectancy of people with HIV has increased due to improved efficacy of the treatment. CDC estimates that around half of all people with HIV are older than 50 years now. By 2030, 70% of all those with HIV would be over 50. With ageing comes new challenges (HIV-associated and non-HIV associated too),' said Dr Gilada. 'Sometimes I believe that people with HIV live better than non-HIV because they are always constantly under health supervision, monitoring and proactively seeking healthcare services which people who do not have HIV may not be getting.' Dr Gilada's Unison Medicare and Research Centre in Mumbai has several people living with HIV under care for over three decades. 'So, in a way we have provided paediatric to geriatric care for those with HIV.' Dr Gilada says that HIV stigma still exists but when he looks at socio-economic background of his patients under care, he often finds that those who are more educated and privileged are more likely to stigmatise and discriminate. 'We need to have a non-judgmental approach in all healthcare settings,' said Dr Gilada. Daxa shared that almost 23 years back, she was asked a whooping INR 16,000 to for pregnancy and child-birth related healthcare services. Dr Gilada calls upon all healthcare professionals including medical community to not charge extra for providing medical care to those with HIV. 'When #UequalsU and person, then where is the risk of HIV transmission?' Dr Gilada asks medical fraternity to follow the science and evidence and stop discriminating against those with HIV. Dr Gilada asks medical fraternity to think that those people who are not aware of their HIV status and seeking surgery, could be in the 'window period' or have had indulged in high HIV risk behaviours couple of days before too – so, best is to follow infection prevention and control measures universally. Dr Gilada appeals to surgeons, obstetricians and gynaecologists and other medical professionals, to not attend to people with HIV at the very last. "Why discriminate?" He calls upon HIV community to leverage upon HIV/AIDS Act, 2017 and help end all forms of HIV related stigma and discrimination. 'But there is not a single case which has been filed under this law since 2017,' said Dr Gilada who had earlier mobilised several associations in the last 30 years to demand such a law. Dr Gilada cites a Mumbai High Court ruling according to which people living with HIV do not even have to disclose their identity (to maintain confidentiality) while seeking legal recourses for justice. We can do better! Managing HIV co-infections and co-morbidities is vital Dr Gilada reminds that along with lifesaving and effective antiretroviral therapy, healthcare workers need to regularly screen people with HIV for a range of co-infections and co-morbidities. Before beginning treatment for any other illness, drug to drug interaction needs to be considered for example. People with HIV are at a higher risk of some non-communicable diseases, such as, cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes and related complications, chronic respiratory diseases, mental health issues, and others. For example, Dr Gilada shared that risk of impaired glucose and insulin metabolism is double among those with HIV compared to those without the virus. TB, despite being preventable and curable, continues to be the biggest cause of deaths for people with HIV. "No one needs to die from TB or HIV because we have science-based tools and approaches to avert these untimely deaths," said Dr Gilada. Dr Gilada and Daxa both advocate for people with HIV to go for adult vaccinations to reduce the risk of or protect themselves from vaccine-preventable diseases. Dr Gilada points to several other concerns that must be considered while caring for people with HIV – and make all efforts to effectively address them in evidence-based and people-centred manner. For example, substance use (tobacco, alcohol, etc), genetics, menopause for women, hypertension, obesity, physical inactivity, poor engagement in healthcare, poverty, among others. Find your inner light: Purposeful and peaceful living is key Daxa Patel shares that we all need to care for our mental wellbeing and try to remain stress-free. Engaging with purposeful and spirited work to help others with HIV since 2002 onwards has helped her remain busy and meaningfully involved. 'It saved my life,' she said. We need to keep ourselves healthy and ensure that we do not let outside stigma and discrimination effect our sensibilities and wellbeing in any way. Shobha Shukla – CNS (Citizen News Service) (Shobha Shukla is the award-winning founding Managing Editor and Executive Director of CNS (Citizen News Service) and is a feminist, health and development justice advocate. She is a former senior Physics faculty of prestigious Loreto Convent College and current Coordinator of Asia Pacific Regional Media Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT Media) and Chairperson of Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA received AMR One Health Emerging Leaders and Outstanding Talents Award 2024). She also coordinates SHE & Rights initiative (Sexual health with equity & rights). Follow her on Twitter @shobha1shukla or read her writings here
