HIV disclosure is still a challenge that is faced by Committed Communities Development Trust (CCDT) and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) throughout the country. Due to stigma and discrimination associated with the illness, it is difficult for families to initiate illness-related discussions with loved ones. While conducting interviews with participants, many parents preferred meeting away from their homes, talked in lower voices, and did not want the neighbors to know about their affiliation with an HIV/AIDS organization. The study conducted with CCDT specifically included a cohort that has gone through a full disclosure process with family members, and received the appropriate medical treatment. Though initially there were uncertainties with illness disclosure, over time parents understood the importance of talking about the illness and included children in the discussions. The aim of our study was to focus on CCDT’s disclosure practices and learn about the process from parents’ and children’s perspective. In order to keep the study objective concise, there was no mention of the national level non-disclosure gaps.

The argument you have made in your letter is a sincere concern for India. Even though with the available resources and free treatment, non-disclosure is still a detrimental public health issue for the country. Families are in constant fear of the stigma associated with the illness. In order to address this further, more qualitative and quantitative data need to be generated. There are numerous HIV/AIDS NGOs working independently on this issue; yet there is a lack of collaboration on effective programming and valuable practices. Without stable infrastructure, laws are not sufficient to encourage disclosure. There is a great need of direct ground level efforts, and collaboration between NGOs and providers to tackle this challenge. This is feasible through stricter government policies, increased countrywide discussions to destigmatize the illness, and continuous efforts from health providers and NGOs to educate infected families on the importance of disclosure.