Re: HIV prevention: unit costing decisions

[Guest guest]

Dear group,

Dr. Chaudhuri has asked a question that most NGOs who are already working in

this field, have probably asked themselves and others, without the hope of a

rational discussion.

It wouild appear that the powers that be decide these matters without any

real consultations with those who actually deal with the situation on a day

to day basis. Because, as Dr. Chaudhuri has rightly pointed out, Rs.3.57 per

day per IDU delivers almost nothing. If we talk drug substitution, the costs

would come to approximately (dose dependent) Rs.30/40 per day. if we talk

needle/syringe provision, the costs would be approximately Rs. 7.50 to 10

per day. This is only for actual material costs, without insfastructural and

operational costs.

Who is fooling whom that we are serious about HIV prevention efforts among

IDUs/SW's/MSM etc ??? Does this not look like a cruel joke on the " target

populations " ?

This discussion needs to be widened and NACO/UNAIDS brought into the field

to justify their unit costing decisions.

Jimmy Dorabjee

Centre for Harm Reduction.

E-mail: <jimmyd@...>

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