Bengaluru: Karnataka HIV Sonkithara Sanghatane, Karnataka Sexual Minorities Forum, Karnataka Sex Workers Union along with many representatives of over 22 districts held a huge silent protest with Placards opposite the office of the Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society (KSAPS) on Crescent Road here on Friday.

Over 200 members of sex workers and sexual minorities participated in the protest for over two hours. Project Director of KSAPS Raveendra assured them that action will be taken against erring Programme Officers who were harassing the HIV workers but gave copies of emails written to NACO requesting early release of funds.

“When approached to present a memorandum, Health Minister UT Khader has asked the leaders of the community members to have a meeting with him and has given an appointment,” said Mallappa Kumbar, State Coordinator, Karnataka Sexual Minorities Forum.

“The protest marked the beginning of a statewide AIDS Campaign, to bring to the notice of the State Government and KSAPS, the grave concerns of our community-based organizations (CBOs) of sex workers, sexual minorities (including MSM, transgender and Hijras), People who inject drugs (IDUs), people living with HIV (PLHA) and civil society members about the dwindling funds and irregular release of money for HIV prevention programme in Karnataka,” said Parveen, State Coordinator, Karnataka HIV Sonkithara Sanghatane.

“Thousands of sex workers, MSMs, Transgenders, hijras who are working as peer educators and out reach workers (ORW) in the Targeted Interventions (TIs), the HIV prevention programme run by KSAPS in all the districts are suffering for irregular funding and lack of salaries. The cut in HIV funding and irregular release of funds has badly affected the HIV prevention programme jeopardising the lives of many people. HIV prevalence is increasing and the number of HIV deaths in Karnataka is increasing because of these problems,” she added.

Lack of drug stocks, closure of Care Centres, frequent change of ART combinations and vacancies of doctors and para medical staff in ART centres, including at the Centre of Excellence at Bowring hospital has been killing people living with HIV and affected the prevention programme. On the other had HIV workers including sex workers, transgender and MSMs who are working as peer educators and outreach workers (ORW) in the HIV prevention programme called Targetted Interventions are facing severe harassment and hardships from the Programme Officers.

“All the prevention work is done by communities themselves as the frontline prevention workers are sex workers, sexual minorities and drug users, but irregular release of funds is badly affecting the HIV programme. More than 80 per cent of the workers in a TI are community workers like sex workers and sexual minorities. These community members are harassed by programme officers of TSU (consultants who support KSAPS) and forced HIV testing to meet the targets are a common practice,” said Bharathi, Secretary of Karnataka Sex Workers Union.

“The Government has closed all the Community Care Centres and HIV positive patients are suffering because of lack of in-patient services. They are undergoing serious side effects due to frequent change of

combination of ART (HIV medicines) and have nowhere to go as CCCs are closed from 2012. The present Care and Support Centre’s are poor cousins of CCCs with absolutely no facilities for people living with HIV. They are an eye-wash,’’ said Parveen Ahmed, from Davangere, who is waging a relentless fight for the rights of PLHA in Karnataka from 2010. She is living with HIV for over a decade.

“Government’s decision to shrink organisational and budgetary support to the AIDS response and irregular flow of funds has badly affected the HIV programme in the State. This will lead to a reversal of the good work done in the last 10 years and will result in an upsurge of the epidemic among the most vulnerable groups,” said Mallappa, State Coordinator, Karnataka Sexual Minorities Forum, which works with all identities of gender minorities in 28 districts of Karnataka.