Reducing AIDS-related stigma and discrimination in Indian hospitals

AIDS-related stigma and discrimination is a pervasive problem worldwide. People living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) in India as elsewhere face stigma and discrimination in a variety of contexts including the household community workplace and health care setting. Research in India has shown that stigma and discrimination against HIV-positive people and those perceived to be infected are common in hospitals and act as barriers to seeking and receiving critical treatment and care services (UNAIDS 2001). Recognizing the need to move beyond documentation of the problem three New Delhi hospitals; SHARAN an Indian NGO; and the Horizons Program with support from the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) carried out an operations research project to develop and test responses to hospital-based stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS. The objectives of the project were to identify the strengths and limitations of existing services for HIV-infected individuals in hospitals and to use this information to design tools and approaches for motivating hospitals to become more "PLHA-friendly" through improved policies staff training and services. (excerpt)