He was speaking at the release of two documentary films produced by the Australian International Health Institute (AIHI) of the Nossal Institute for Global Health in partnership with EHA-Project ORCHID under the aegis of its "Overcoming Stigma and Discrimination" (OSD) Project initiative supported by the Avahan India AIDS Initiative at Kohima today.
Sankaranarayanan went on to speak of the "pro-active steps that had been taken by Nagaland to build a ground level response and empower IDUs, vulnerable women and people living with HIV/AIDS". He reiterated that stigma and discrimination "was a great challenge to all of us" because "it severely impacts the quality of the response and prevents people living with HIV/AIDS from seeking services."
He also stressed on the role media had to play saying, "From the onset, mass media has been playing a critical role in spreading awareness, building sensitivity around HIV/AIDS and the communities affected by it besides changing people`s perceptions about HIV/AIDS. It is therefore imperative that mass media further strengthen its resolve to continue this fight against stigma."
Dr. Neiphi Kire, Project Director, NSACS, commended AIHI and Project ORCHID for their efforts to address and reduce the stigma and discrimination that surrounds HIV/AIDS and said, "People are afraid of knowing their status or to come out and access the available services due to the stigma and discrimination associated with it".
The highpoint of the function was the release of two films - "Going the distance" and "As the River Flows". These films address the stigma and discrimination being faced by people living with HIV/AIDS and the challenges in seeking health related services and linkages for care and support.
"Going the Distance" is centered around Nukshinaro, a PLHA Coordinator with NSACS, who declared her HIV positive status in a public address on World AIDS Day in 2005. It highlights the support that she got from her friends and family when she disclosed her HIV positive status to them.
Yapangnaro Longkumer, who directed the film `As the River Flows` said, "Though I did know about the issue of HIV/AIDS, the process leading to the film gave deep insight into the challenges faced by PLHIV." She added that, "The consultation workshops on media messaging made me realize how mass media can be used to focus on positive aspects and build awareness in the process." And that her involvement with the OSD initiative had motivated her to make yet another documentary on issues pertaining to HIV/AIDS.
Validating the need to use different mediums to focus on the fight against stigma and discrimination, Joyce Angami Team Leader, OSD and Project Manager of Nossal Institute for Global Health said, "Our main objective is to enhance the outreach activities of HIV/AIDS related interventions taken up by NGOs in partnership with NSACS, Project ORCHID and other agencies in Nagaland. OSD is aimed at addressing the issue of PLHA not accessing health care facilities for fear of stigma and discrimination.
We hope to contribute towards facilitating an enabling environment for PLHA by raising awareness among the general population through films and other mediums."
She added that, besides the documentary films, the OSD initiative is using a mix of various media in the form of booklets, posters, hoardings, Public Service Announcements (PSAs) and radio spots ``to highlight the need to address stigma and discrimination. These will be were aired through radio, television and print mediums."
It was also explained that the two films and other media mix products are part of a process taken up by AIHI and EHA-Project ORCHID with support from the Avahan Initiative and in partnership with local mass media professionals. And that they were structured around the mandate of the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) to address issues of stigma and discrimination in the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Lauding the steps taken by the OSD initiative, Fr. Chacko Karihayil, the parish priest of Holy Cross, Dimapur, said that the lives of the two protagonists would not only inspire other PLHIVs to seek health care services but also make people sensitive to HIV/AIDS".