COVID-19 pandemic has been giving nightmares to even super-powers of the world. Social distancing has been order of the day. Testing, tracking and treatment are tools to fight the pandemic whereas breaking the stigma and fear attached to testing positive are the biggest deterrent against spreading social awareness.

The Centre and states are doing the best of their capabilities to fight the pandemic but still, one important aspect appears to be missing i.e. breaking the stigma. Once it is done it may take the fight against COVID-19 to the next level ascertaining far better results in terms of social distancing, testing, tracking, and treatment.

Taking lessons from the past experiments and experience may add one new dimension to our consolidated fight against the pandemic.

A similar virus was threatening the world in the first decade of this millennium. HIV cases were on surge in the united Andhra Pradesh. Like COVID-19; HIV too does not spread through air and touch, it was very infectious, debilitating, deadly and highly stigmatizing.

Then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was known for his pioneering initiatives like Arogya Sri (the precursor of Ayushman Bharat) and 108 ambulance services in the health sector.

In combating HIV in AP, the “Be Bold” campaign started by AP State AIDS Control Society proved to be the game-changer. Asok Kumar (IAS:1991), presently, Additional Secretary and Mission Director, National Water Mission was in charge of the ‘Be Bold Campaign’. This drew the national and international attention after it effectively checkmated the spread of HIV in a short span of time (Yr 2005-2008).

Testing, Tracking, Treatment and Stigma Reduction was the main strategy under the “Be Bold” campaign to reduce the spread of HIV. Stigma attached to even HIV testing was the biggest deterrent.

Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s small though innovative move broke the stigma. Reddy himself along with his cabinet colleagues and Speaker of the Assembly Suresh Reddy publicly underwent the HIV tests. This proved a game-changer and triggered a massive testing drive. It helped in the identification of HIV positives cases enabling the administration to design strategy and device effective mechanism to contain the disease by way of counseling them to prevent further spread and their treatment. This led to a massive reduction of new HIV cases in AP.

“Be Bold Campaign” breaking the stigma reduction was reportedly considered by UNAIDS as one of the best campaigns in the world for HIV/AIDS prevention and stigma reduction, inviting the PD, APSACS who handled the campaign to make a presentation at the International AIDS Conference in Mexico in 2008.

A huge number of deaths in superpowers like the US and China not only create fear after testing positive for COVID-19 but the mandatory 14-day quarantine also gives a sense of rejection and creates social stigma. Breaking the stigma may add a new dimension to our collective fight against COVID-19.

(By Rakesh Ranjan)