10-Year-Old UP Boy Carries Mother's Body Alone Amidst HIV Stigma

• A 10-year-old boy in Etah district, Uttar Pradesh, was forced to carry his mother's body for autopsy alone due to severe HIV-related stigma from villagers.
• His 52-year-old mother died while undergoing treatment for tuberculosis and HIV at a government medical college.
• The family faced increasing social boycott after the boy's father died last year from HIV, leaving the child without adult support.
• Police intervened after being alerted, ensuring post-mortem formalities and last rites were completed with administrative assistance.
• Authorities are now assessing the family's situation and working on long-term care arrangements for the woman's two children, including her 16-year-old daughter.

Why It Matters: HIV stigma led to a 10-year-old boy handling his mother's death alone in UP, highlighting social challenges.