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HCV Coinfection Problem in India, Despite HAART
 
 
  Need for hepatitis C study asserted at workshop
 
The Imphal Free Press
http://www.kanglaonline.com
 
IMPHAL, Dec 23: The second and concluding day of the Indian peoples tribunal on stigma and discrimination towards people living with HIV/AIDS was held at ICM today.
 
Among the issues discussed today at the workshop on stigma and discrimination towards PLHA were the issues of drug users, MSM, women and children and the co-infection of HIV and Hepatitis C. Issues relating to medias response to PLHA and the legal aspects were also discussed.
 
Speaking on co-infection of HIV and Hepatitis C, Ng Ratan, programme coordinator Manipur Network of Positive People said, "HIV is now a manageable condition. In Northeast, among the HIV positive people who are on ART, significant number of people are dying due to liver toxicity and other complications with the rising incidence of HIV and hepatitis C co-infection."
 
Ratan said that the last research done on HIV and hepatitis co-infection was in 2000-2001 by the Indian Council for Medical Research in Churachandpur and Imphal. He said that in that study 98% prevalence of the co-infection was reported in Churachandpur alone. "So in the last six-seven years one can well imagine the rise in the number of people living with the co-infection," said Ratan.
 
He said that many people are dying in spite of getting free ART since the issue of co-infection is not yet addressed. Ratan said, "We want the inclusion of hepatitis C treatment as well as prevention in the state as well as national policies. We also want an accurate study on hepatitis C, study on the virus and mapping of the number of people with the co-infection."
 
RK Tiken, joint secretary SASO said that the present harm reduction programmes for HIV does not address hepatitis C so there are many people who are not HIV positive but hepatitis C positive. He said that with substance dependency still a problem in the Northeast, harm reduction need to be revamped.
 
The concluding day of the peoples tribunal organized by HRNL with MNP+ and SASO was moderated by Lisham Rabindra, former member Manipur Human Rights Commission.
 
 
 
 
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