The Indian Network for People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) is readying a 20,000-signature petition urging Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to pass new legislation that would protect the rights of people in India living with HIV/AIDS, The Hindu reports (hinduonnet.com, 2/16). The petition will be delivered to the prime minister’s office on Monday, February 25.
The final draft of the HIV/AIDS Bill was drafted in August of 2006, but The Hindu reports that it has not yet been tabled by Parliament.
“The Bill is based on the rights perspective and aims at preventing and controlling the spread of the epidemic while protecting the rights of those infected and affected by the disease,” says Anand Grover, director of the HIV/AIDS unit of international legal human rights group Lawyers Collective.
Discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS remains a concern throughout India, according to The Hindu. The most reported cases of discrimination occur at health care providers, which may discourage Indians from seeking out HIV testing and treatment.
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