India's politicians bury differences in fight on HIV/AIDS

May 12, 2002

Sat May 11, 6:07 AM ET

By NIRMALA GEORGE, Associated Press Writer

NEW DELHI, India - Faced with an emerging HIV/AIDS epidemic, India's

ruling and opposition party leaders buried their differences briefly

Saturday to map out a campaign to tackle the disease.

" This is a concern that is shared equally by the central and state

governments, as also by all political parties, " said Prime Minister

Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

He was speaking at the opening of a conference to encourage lawmakers

and officials at federal, state and village levels to increase

awareness about the disease and how to prevent its spread.

After South Africa, India has the second highest number of HIV/AIDS

carriers of any country in the world, with 4 million, according to

India's official AIDS control body. The United Nations estimates

there are 40 million people infected worldwide.

Experts said that India had lost precious years in the initial stages

of the epidemic when authorities denied HIV/AIDS was a problem. Many

sufferers have shied away from seeking help because of the stigma of

the disease, they said.

" Valuable time was lost in the late 80s when the epidemic could have

been caught in its early stages and could have been stamped out, as

the government's health agencies were in denial, " said Suniti

, a doctor working with a non-governmental organization in

western Maharashtra state.

Vajpayee said lawmakers must take the initiative in shedding

prejudice and helping HIV/AIDS sufferers lead normal lives.

Gandhi, leader of the opposition Congress party, asked Indians

to be " compassionate in their approach and passionate in their

commitment to prevent HIV/AIDS. "

Gandhi said India, a nation of 1.02 billion, has succeeded in

eliminating small pox and will soon have eliminated polio. HIV/AIDS

should be tackled with the same zeal, she said.

The conference, organized by the International AIDS Vaccine

Initiative and other groups, brought together parliamentarians,

health policy-makers and non-governmental organizations from eight

developing countries.

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