HIV Information for Myanmar continues to post anonymous comments sent to the moderator about the decision to prohibit naming of groups of people living with HIV and their supervision by HIV and STD Teams. Some readers may disagree with the points made and the [him] moderator encourages further comment. Some comments have material that has little to do with HIV but the moderator has chosen not to edit them.
[him] moderator
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The latest instruction or restriction from the DOH on people living with HIV and AIDS is another example of decreasing role of intellectuals in the SPDC or decreasing morale of medical professions. Self helping and supporting each other is a very basic value and basic rights of man kind which by no means require any permission from any one. Encouraging and facilitation for formation of self help groups in a response to HIV response is internationally recommended best practice and best use of people living with HIV as resources for care and treatment programs. Every medical professionals understands that any restriction on access to assistance for individuals' health is kind of breaching the code of ethic of medical profession. The international non government organizations implementing health programs has been in a silent crisis for almost a half decade, particularly after September 2007. Their MOUs have been under pending if they do not follow the advice to reduce their project sites. The NAP used to be quite OK to pretend active in working with international and local NGO in developing National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS and accomplishing targets in prioritized townships together with stakeholders. After the September movement, all health programs are looked from military's security perspective. Not bother to care for anyone's any issue, but greater care for their security. More and more INGO and Local NGO are asked to reduced their operating areas. It was quite difficult for the medical professionals to convey the unethical advices to their counter parts , the humanitarian IGNOs. However, the recent restriction letter looks like that Medical professionals from DOH are more confident and comfortable issuing such unethical orders to the people living with HIV/AIDS, their patients. They no longer see people living with HIV/AIDS as their patients, but as threats to their security, the livelihood security of the staff from the DOH. They are ready to do any thing to save their jobs. They are comfortable to live on the lives of the people living with HIV /AIDS. The IGNO community also looks like decided to stay quiet as they have had bad experience of any complaint would further complicate and create more problems for them. One PLHIV said " they even beaten up the monks in front of everyone, they don't care to give instructions on our lives". Then, who will stand for People living with HIV/AIDS.
