The odds were against her, but she never really thought of losing the battle. Her fortitude helped her move on.
Anandi Yuvaraj was diagnosed HIV+15 years ago. But, instead of wallowing, she chose the other route. “Since I knew it is not easy to cope with the reality, I wanted to work for the ilk, at the policy-making level, to make a difference in their lives. Life shouldn’t be spoilt by a virus.
To prove we are beyond, people should move on, taking lessons,” she says with a smile.
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Currently working as consultant with UNAIDS and based in Delhi, Ms. Yuvaraj believes that people affected by HIV have unlimited powers, which need to be tapped for bringing in a change in their lives.
As a member of the International Community for Women Living with HIV (ICW Global), based in Coimbatore, she spearheaded the Asia Pacific Regional chapter of ICW in her capacity as regional coordinator. She was also the lead consultant for the PLHIV stigma index study in the five northeastern States of Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland.
The study helps in measuring the stigma and discrimination experienced by People Living with HIV using a standardised quantitative tool called PLHIV Stigma Index.
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The project was funded by UNAIDS, India Office. The study is the second largest rollout after it was introduced in Tamil Nadu in 2010.
“AIDS is no longer a deadly disease it used to be. Now that we have access to treatment and the community has been engaged, the incidence have started coming down,” she says.
Talk about stigma, and she points out: “Stigma is everywhere. Even a Dalit or a dark-skinned woman is discriminated against. I agree that the revelation of my HIV status pushed me into an ocean of problems. But, HIV has also given me an opportunity to work extensively in this sector.”
“Let us create opportunities for them to play a critical role in shaping the future response to HIV and other development domains that affect their lives,” she says.