Gender Case Study HIV/AIDS AMR-APARD, Hyderabad

 Ill health affects both men and women  Women are more seriously affected because: Lack of access & control over resources Women are taken to treatment only when serious Treatment, less effective at that stage  Women provide care when anybody is ill at home, she doesn’t get attention when she is sick  A huge portion of women and girls in India are anaemic

HIV in the context of Stark Poverty  Kurla, Mumbai  Home – 6 feet x 6 feet on foot path  Municipal Corporation demolished it  Husband used to work as plumber – Rs.3000/- a month  4 years ago fell sick – HIV+  Wife sold gold worth Rs. 10,000/-  Medicines worth Rs.800/- a month – used for 4 months and then discontinued.

 He accesses medicine from government now  But falls sick frequently – diarrhoea  Wanted to commit suicide  NGO prevented and is supporting them  Now wife is also sick – still works – earning less  Spends on X-rays and CD4 tests.  Borrowing money from houses where she is working.

Questions about Case Study  What forms of support would help this woman and her family?  Which of these forms of support are already being provided by government? Which parts of government are providing them? Why is this support not reaching all who need it?  Which additional forms of support could be provided by government?

 What went wrong in their lives?  Is the corporation responsible for their condition?  Why is she borrowing money – would that be available forever  Why is she still working when she is also HIV+ and sick