Justice Shashidar Shetty, Member-Secretary, Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA), 2nd from left, Gangu Bai R Manakar, IAS, HIV Ombudsman, 3rd from left, releases the KNP newsletter. Dr. Arvind, Head, CoE, Bowring Hospital, right, and Anand Reddy, IPS, AGP Prisons, left, were also seen, at Jeevotsava, an HIV conclave organized by the Karnataka Network of Positive People (KNP+) in Bengaluru on Wednesday. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Stigma, discrimination and breach of confidentiality against people living with HIV are now punishable under the HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Act, Shashidar Shetty, member-secretary of the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA), said on Wednesday, calling for strict respect for dignity, rights and privacy in healthcare and society at large.
He was speaking at Jeevotsava, an HIV conclave organized by the Karnataka Network of Positive People (KNP+) in the city.
About 450 people participated in the event, including 250 people living with HIV and about 70 youth from 21 districts of the state. Representatives of Indian Network of Positive People (INP+), NGOs and civil society organizations were present. The conclave was organized in collaboration with Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society (KSAPS), SAATHI (Chennai) and SVYM (Mysuru).
“People living with HIV have long been silent sufferers in the face of stigmatization and discrimination. It is the responsibility of society and all citizens to respect their rights as any violation is now punishable with the advent of the HIV Act,” Justice Shetty said.
Social systems
GP Devaraj, Additional Director of Welfare Department, explained the various welfare schemes available to PLHAs and encouraged parents to send their children for higher education. To ensure that complaints are followed up, he pointed out that there is 10% reservation for people living with HIV in all educational programs and hostel admissions.
Gangu Bai Ramesh Manakar, Ombudsman for Karnataka and State Nodal Officer for Grievance Redressal under the HIV Act, 2017, sought to normalize HIV as a chronic health condition.
“HIV is just a medical report, a medical condition like diabetes or blood pressure. People can live up to 100 years with proper antiretroviral therapy (ART) and nutrition. The stigma should be removed,” she said.
KNP+ released its quarterly newsletter, recognizing individuals and organizations for their service to the HIV community over the past 25 years.
Saroja Putran, director, board of KNP+, said the organization is a federation of 30 district PLHA networks in Karnataka with over 1.8 lakh members and is affiliated to the parent network INP+ at the national level.
Gaps in treatment
Special awards were given to HIV specialist Sathish B., who returned from the US in 1993 to start treating HIV patients in Karnataka and has since treated more than 1.27 lakh patients, and gynecologist Poornima Murthy, who specializes in performing deliveries and gynecological surgeries for HIV-positive women.
INP+ CEO Sneha Latha said Karnataka has been at the forefront of the HIV response with a strong community-led approach, but now faces challenges in testing and early detection. She highlighted the loss of follow-up after initiation of ART, particularly among construction workers, industrial workers and migrants, and called for stronger data systems and evidence-based responses at district and rural levels.
The conclave included testimony from people living with HIV. Bheema Sena’s Nagarathna, who has lived with HIV for 25 years, said timely Nevirapine ensured her daughter was HIV negative and education helped overcome the stigma.
“From the courtroom to the last mile clinic, rights must travel with the person living with HIV and not remain locked in a folder,” said Shan Sihimogge SJ, Director, KNP+, during the closing session, which also proposed the Charter of Rights for People Living with HIV in Karnataka.
Published – 21 Jan 2026 21:13 IST
