Organization: Laxmi Chandrawanshi Medical College, Palamu, Jharkhand
Region: Asia and the Pacific Islands
Nationality: India
Country: India
Interests & expertise: Ageing with HIV
Profession or occupation: HIV physician
What inspires you to work in the HIV field?
HIV deals with populations that are often hard to reach with conventional media channels, often marginalized by society (men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, sex workers), most vulnerable and powerless (women and children), of lower socioeconomic status, and on the move (migrants, truck drivers) and not easy to target. These constraints really inspire me to work for people living with HIV.
What are your goals as an IAS change maker?
I want to work to reduce stigma and discrimination attached to HIV and AIDS. Not only people living with HIV are stigmatized, but HIV physicians too. Any reduction in stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV would increase their health-seeking behaviour; they would have otherwise kept to themselves without testing and treatment.