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DIMAPUR — The Network of Naga People Living with HIV and AIDS (NNP+) and its district-level networks (DLNs) have decided not to participate in the World AIDS Day 2023 observation to be organised by Nagaland State AIDS Control Society (NSACS) and its district units—the district AIDS prevention and control units (DAPCU).
In a statement, the NNP+ expressed its unhappiness over how the roles of the NNP+ and DLNs are being allegedly undermined by the NSACS surrounding the commemoration of World AIDS Day, which has prompted the decision.
The theme for World AIDS Day 2023 is ‘Let communities lead’.
The statement noted that NNP+ regards World AIDS Day as an important event and has played an important role in its own capacity in previous years. However, over time, NSACS began to marginalise the PLHIV (people living with HIV/AIDS) networks, which it claimed violated the very principle of greater involvement of people living with HIV and AIDS (GIPA).
“While the global body has been moving towards achieving this GIPA principle, it is disheartening that NSACS, on the contrary, is drifting away from this," stated the press release, adding that in recent years, the PLHIV networks have been used just for mere attendance in many of the other programmes and as showpieces during the observation of World AIDS Day by simply inviting a member to share his or her testimony about living with HIV.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]The statement maintained that there would be ‘no more tokenism’.
NNP+/DLNs have described this turn of events as unfortunate and stated that they had previously informed NSACS of this, as well as requested that the latter meaningfully involve the PLHIV communities at all levels.
However, it said, the current activities undertaken by NSACS have systematically sidelined the PLHIV networks again, and therefore, the collective networks have accepted the fact that if NSACS wants this system of functioning, so shall it be.
It further informed that the collective networks are planning to observe World AIDS Day 2023 in several districts without the assistance of NSACS and DAPCU and that preparations are already underway.