AIDS

AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is caused by human immunodeficiency virus, which transmits through HIV positive patient’s blood transfusion, unsafe sex, contaminated hypodermic needles and from HIV positive mother to her baby.

Kamar Jyaz Zaidi, the owner of shelter, said that they did not get any help or charity from anywhere for running shelter home.

“Mostly the HIV AIDS patients arrive here are widows with one to two children with them. From ART (anti-retroviral therapy) centre, we come to know that children too are HIV positive. They stay here and their mothers too, we arrange food and water for them and we did not get any charity, help or donation from anywhere for these helps,” said Zaidi.

The shelter is next to Allahabad University in the province.

Vijay Devi, a HIV positive patient, said that the villagers discarded her children who are also HIV positive.

“My children got affected from HIV, so villagers did not allow them to stay there. Here Daddy sahib (the old couple) gave them shelter. They give us food, water, medicine. They also teach my children and up bring them,” said Devi.

Most of the children in the shelter are those who are abandoned by their parents because of this disease.

India with 2.5 million patients is among the top three countries with the highest number of HIV cases, alongside South Africa and Nigeria.