Report of Civil Society's meeting with Dr. Piot

[Guest guest]

Civil Society meets Dr. Piot.

A Report on Civil Society Meets Dr. PIOT - UNAIDS

May 1st, 2002. UN Conference Hall, New Delhi

On 1st May, 2002, a meeting was held between Dr. Piot - UNAIDS

and representatives of Civil Societies from all over India.

The objectives of the meeting was to

1) Learn the ground situation in India in respect to HIV/AIDS and

response from civil societies

2) Advocate with government and within the UN System.

The meeting was moderated by Dr. Erma Manoncourt, Deputy Director

(Programmes) UNICEF, India. Four speakers were invited to present

their experiences by giving a brief background of different types of

projects/programmes going on in India in respect to prevention,

control and care and counselling. Adequate time was given for floor

discussion too.

Ms. Nisha of DNP + , Sahara, a positive woman expressed her agony in

respect to her positive child. Her main concern was that there was no

proper place or care centre for HIV +ve children, her own sick child

has no place to stay when she is at work, and she strongly felt that

such facilities should be provided and care givers should think on

these lines.

Dr. Radium Bhattacharya, President, Indian Network of NGOs( IN N )

appreciated the concern of the UN system and particularly Dr.

Piot who had come to India, to hear the ground situations of HIV/AIDS

in India directly from the members of the civil society. Dr.

Bhattacharya made it clear that her voice represented the voice of

more than 200 NGOs of India and their responses towards HIV/AIDS.

The member NGOs of IN N are mostly from grass root level and what

they need most is their own capacity building to work in this

sector, whereas financial problems were prennial problems for them.

For the last six years IN N is meeting every year, to share the

NGOs experiences and tries to bring the solutions. wherever and

whenever possible. The most challenging problems faced by NGOs are

from the government sector where they have not been getting the

proper respect and trust and are working as hired contractors and not

as partners.

The other problems are resource materials like condoms, non

availability of support systems like access to STD treatment access,

erratic financial flow, bigotory laws, harassment of sex workers,

unclear policy, stigma at all level of societies against the positive

people and on accessibility to ARV treatment.

Dr. Bhattacharya shared two positive experiences from the last IN N

convention held at Bhubaneshwar, Orissa earlier this year. One was

the total commitment of the UN system and WHO, the represenatives

from these organizations devoted full time during the convention to

understand the role of NGO sector from different parts of India. This

was great moral support for all the NGOs who were present at the

convention.

The second positive experience was from the Orissa government who

used the convention floor as a classroom to learn and rectify their

approach to mitigate the spread of HIV in Orissa. (The details and

report about this convention shall be soon available ). Dr.

Bhattacharya also pointed out that NGOs need recognition from the UN

system and discussions like the current one would be helpful in

future too. She said that Dr. Piot should hear the NGOs

directly rather than receiving reports or feed back indirectly.

Mr. Mrinal Kanti Dutta of Sonagachi narrated the genesis of Sonagachi

project - how from a mere epidemiological study it has become a

community based organization and how the beneficiaries are feeling

empowered to solve their multi faceted problems . Presently they are

fighting for their Trade recognition. The date of their presentation

coincided with the May Day celebrations.

Dr. Joyce from Nagaland expressed the plights of positive women who

are I V drug usesrs and are also infected through sexual encounters.

They live in society without any dignity and respect and often lead a

miserable life.

After these formal presentations the floor was open for discussion.

The participants played an active role on the important discussions

held on bigotry laws, apathy of local and state governments in the

work of NGOs, higjacking projects from NGOs. Great concerns were

shown by the positive people, mainly from North-East where most of

the positive pople are also I V drug users and women are vulnerable

and in dire situations. Often the medical system is inadequate and an

example was cited about the non functioning of the CD4 Test counter

for a long period of time.

Dr. Piot reacted to the presentations by saying that the most

important way to solve the problems is through a dialague and he said

he would try to organize such dialague meetings between the

government and NGOs. He also emphasized that bringing the NGOs

together was most important and more work was needed in this

direction.

In response to recognition of the work done by the NGOs, he said that

the UN system is aware of this and they are constantly recognizing

their work . He said that this recogniton could be seen through the

constant representation of NGOs at various UNAIDS programmes. In

response to the discussion on law, Dr. Piot emphasized that laws are

not enough if they are not properly enforced. Law, good practices and

good HIV policies could be the ideal way of working but often is hard

to achieve.

He stressed that capacity building was a very important aspect of a

successful response and UNAIDS will see that this could be done.

Accesss to treatment is not an easy solution, there are many things

to learn how to go about this aspect of HIV - he said every country

will have to face this, even if they are the poorest countries. Dr.

Piot pointed out that Indian pharmaceutical companies are selling ARV

in other countries at much cheaper rates that in India. Therefore one

will have to work hard in bringing the equity and equality.

He concluded by saying that this meeting with the civil society had

been a good meeting for him, as he has lot of experience from Africa

where he did work as an NGO too, but in India he is still learning.

The discussion moderator Dr. Erma Manoncourt ended by saying that

NGOs have to go on doing their remarkable work, and asked

participants to see the Civil society meeting as an ongoing

discussion - to look forward to more of such meetings.

Radium Bhattacharya

e-MAIL: <gapad1@sancharnet

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