Give a future for 950 Indian kids living with HIV

Thanks to the fantastic work of the State health service, it is now rare for a child to be born with HIV. Little Sanjay was one of the exceptions. So how did it happen?

Our team advises young adults living with HIV that they can marry an HIV-negative partner and enjoy a normal married life, provided they stay on regular treatment and their partner knows. That was the plan when Inila, who is HIV positive, married Mahesh, who is HIV negative. It was an arranged marriage, and both were happy with it.

Then came the complication. The couple lived with Mahesh's parents, who knew nothing about Inila's status. In a small house there is nowhere to hide tablets and no easy excuse for regular hospital visits, so Inila stopped taking her medication. When her first baby was due, she went to her parents' village, as is the custom, keeping her status from the hospital staff.

It all came out. Sanjay was born with HIV, and Mahesh turned out to have been infected too.

Here is where Mahesh surprised everyone. Under heavy pressure from his parents to divorce, he refused. He stood by his wife, and the family of three rented a house in another village and started afresh.

That is where we came in. With the local HIV Network, our team talked to friendly government officials and got the family's smart card issued straight away, unlocking subsidised food and some financial support. We made sure all three were on treatment. Mahesh found a good job, and the family is steady and hopeful. Inila is now expecting again, Sanjay is at nursery school, and this time things will come right again.

And who says arranged marriages don't work?

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With your help we currently support 438 HIV-positive children under 18 and last year 541 HIV-positive unmarried young adults received premarital counselling. We work with HIV positive associations and the State Government which provides free treatment, welfare and other services.

Thank you so much for your continued interest and support.

John Dalton,

Arogya Agam's Founder

(Names have been changed, the photo is for representative purposes only and the boys in the photo do not have HIV)