A charter of rights calling for zero tolerance for stigma, denial and discrimination in healthcare, education, workplaces, prisons, shelters and social protection schemes for people living with HIV in Karnataka will be placed for endorsement at the State HIV Conclave 2026, “Jeevotsava”, to be held in Bengaluru on Wednesday. Drafted by the Karnataka Network of Positive People (KNP), which now uses the term People Living with HIV and ART (PLHA), the charter outlines rights-based guarantees that PLHA say are essential to strengthen the State’s HIV response. What it seeks The proposed charter seeks to ensure dignity and non-discrimination, privacy and confidentiality of HIV status, access to comprehensive health services, and functional accountability mechanisms across government departments. It also emphasises service access for communities facing intersecting stigma, including sex workers, transgender persons, sexual minorities and people who inject drugs. Around 400 PLHA from 30 districts, including nearly 70 youth, are expected to participate in discussions at the conclave, which is being organised under the aegis of the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA). H. Shashidar Shetty, …