Socio-Economic Impact of HIV and AIDS in Tamil nadu

Annexures
Annexure I
Summary of focus group
discussion
The focus group discussion on the
socio-economic impact study of HIV
and AIDS was conducted in Cambum, in
Theni district, on 5 January, 2005 at the
Cambum Network of Positive People.
• There was a total of 21 participants, of
whom 13 were women (including two
CSWs). The participants were either in
stage one or two of the infection. The
women were in the age group 20-45
years, and men in the age group 30-
37 years. Except for two participants,
all the others belonged to the OBC
category. All the participants were
from a very poor socio-economic
background. While four of the female
participants and one male participant
were illiterate, only two female and
two male participants had completed
their school education. The remaining
had only completed primary or were
below primary level of education.
Most of the male participants were
working as wage labourers and had
been earning more before they tested
HIV-positive. Many of the female
participants were widows. These
were women who were not working
initially, but were forced to take up
some job to earn their livelihood after
the death of their husbands, and in
effect mostly after they realised that
they had become HIV-positive. Most
of them were working as counsellors/
outreach workers with the network
or as wage-labourers. The income
of most of the participants was very
meagre, as low as Rs. 800 per month,
with the exception being participants
who were working with the network
and whose salary was in the range of
Rs. 1,500-2,500 per month.
About the network at
Cambum
Prevalence of HIV is very high in Cambum.
Hence, though there is already a network
at Theni, (the district headquarters) the
one at Cambum was formed so that the
PLWHA of Cambum area need not travel
to Theni for monthly meetings. The
objectives of the monthly meetings are to
share each other’s experiences, circulate
information about any new development
like newly introduced/available ARV,
NGOs working for the positive people,
NGOs supplying Sathuma as well as
giving guidance in general. The Cambum
network has links with Sewanilayam,
an NGO which runs a care and support
home and also the government hospital
at Theni. Sewanilayam has bed facilities
for PLWHA along with a separate ward
for TB patients.
Annexures
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