The Kachin Post

September 16, 2003—Many people in Burma’s northern State have been victims of the HIV amid shortage of getting access to medical assistance, health education on how to prevent form the deadly disease, according to the NGO worker and Kachin Independence Organization’s health department.

The AIDS issue was on the agenda of the last month KIO’s 12th annual meeting to discuss how to stop spreading the disease even in its military personnel. A KIO officer who attended the meeting said, several dead cases of its soldiers and officers were found by AIDS.

The meeting decided to urge people to have a blood test before marriage and allow marriage for those who are in HIV positive.
A NGO worker from the Metta foundation, helping rural development in Burma told The Kachin Post that many poor people cannot afford to pay for the HIV blood test. The cost for the HIV blood test is about 3,000 kyats.

People are not familiar to use condom while having sex, said a NGO worker. The spreading of HIV in Kachin State, home of over a million people, has been highest rate than the rest of Burma. Kachin State is border with China’s Yunnan province and India’s northeast region where HIV infection rate is highest in both countries.

“We have a lots of condom to distribute, but people don’t understand to use condom,” said KIO health department officer, who is in condition of anonymity. “People believe using condom is bad habit.”

Hospitals in Kachin State have no AIDS patients, and doctors have no authority to tell its patients has HIV positive, said NGO worker. Hospital does not allow AIDS patients and they are named as Tuberculosis and other disease patients.

A rapid dead rate by AIDS has resulted increased number of orphan in rural villages, said NGO worker. A Roman Catholic Father who open hostel for orphans in Myitkyina said he receives more orphanage children in this year.

Only three foreign and a couple local NGOs are operating for HIV education and condom distribution in Kachin state.

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