Re: AIDS screening of foreigners: Consultations need

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum subscribers,

This refers to postings from M. , Ajay Sudhakar and BBC  report on statement of Indian Minister of Health and several others postings in this forum on India's plans to screen visitors form abroad for their HIV status.

I think, these concerns should be read with objectivity that they merit. It is well nigh futile to do a wild goose chase like screening visitors from abroad for their HIV status to help this nations efforts to prevent the further spread of HIV/AIDS. Though India seriously started rather late in the day to address mutiple complexities of the pandemic, but the present team seams to be  striving very hard to cut some ground in a vast country like India.

If we look at the spirit of Mr. 's observation, we cannot deny that much more areas of public well being require money to be spent rather than screening visitors for the HIV status which is perhaps not a very practical idea. Similarly  other forum members have also expressed very genuine concern.This is not contested  that AIDS in India might have travelled from outside but now it is not multiplying becasue of outsiders but by the natural law of progression and behaviour patterns of our society.

Every government has the right and the privilege to devise its own modes of operation and similarly its actions and policies are open for free comments from everyone.  So there has to be a free play of reasons so that no wrong decision is taken which may have to be withdrawn due to several pitfalls.

On the face of it, the screening plan does seem to be workable. It is worthwhile to have a thorough discussion and look through all possible angles rather than acting in haste. 

Having worked in government for decade, I am fully aware that it is not possible sometimes even for seasons bureaucrats at several levels to counter or disagree with the higher achelons of power and positions but  from outsides the boundaries of these ivory towers, everyone who critiscises us is not our anemy. 

All shades of opinion must reach NACO and Health Ministry of India for a dispassionate consideration and anaytical review. Consultations need not be confined to Ministry of Toruism, Foreign Affairs or any routine "babugiri" citadel. It requires a much wider debate.

On sex education, by now much water has flown down the bridges. It is hardly relevant to talk today about withholding this much needed facts of life from our children  who come to know about everything that the elders want to conceal, through their own way. Even those children come to know whose parents censor everything.

Therefore, in this age sex education has not to be a taboo but a felt need which should be met at the 'right' age--- in early teens. AIDS is principally dealing with sex and in educational endeavour sex  has to come some form, we like it or not.

Forum members have a big role to play in expressing frankly what they think about all this.

Amrik

E-mail:amriksinghkapoor@...

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[Guest guest]

Dear Forum Subscribers,

A lot of noise on testing of people coming into the country has been raised

in this forum. Rightly so. Do you also know that many young people

requesting visas to the US are required to have an HIV test. No noise but

done quietly at the visa stage. What should India do then ?

S.K

E-mail: <undcpe41@...>

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[Guest guest]

Dear Forum Subscribers,

" A lot of noise on testing of people coming into the country has been raised in

this forum. Rightly so. Do you also know that many young people requesting visas

to the US are required to have an HIV test. No noise but done quietly at the

visa stage. What should India do then? "

RAISE ALMIGHTY HELL!!!!!!

Indeed, India might be entertaining some of these idiotic ideas PRECISELY

because the United States government has maintained this idiotic and

discriminatory policy against HIV+ immigrants. Way too often, policy

decisions by the CDC, FDA or other US agencies wind up being the de facto

standard for the planet. In many cases, this works out fine. In many other

cases, countries ignore the US policies and do their own thing.

But when it comes to boneheaded ideas, this crosses borders (literally).

I shall always remember Mann with great fondness. He was a

terrific guy and one of the reasons one of the International AIDS

Conferences moved from its scheduled place in Boston, Massachusetts to

Amsterdam, the Netherlands, was at his instigation--and in protest of the

foolish US policy.

M.

E-mail: <gmc0@...>

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