Funding & Policy Crisis - AIDS Prevention Strategy - Kerala

[Guest guest]

Chief Minister of Kerala

Mr A. K. Antony

Dear Sir,

I am Geoff Heaviside from Melbourne and I remember meeting a number of Chief

Ministers and Health Ministers when I was hosting the arrival hall at

Melbourne Airport during the 6th ICAAP Convention in October 2001.

From that meeting, which was my first ICAAP, a number of meaningful networks

were established that has included a twinning project between INP+ in

Chennai and Brimbank Community Initiatives Inc, an NGO, in Melbourne.

As time has passed there has been some reciprocal visiting with a view to

developing some team work with vision, committed to enhancing the quality of

people's lives and applying principles of care, responsiveness, continuity,

and sensitivity.

It will soon be my turn to visit Tamil Nadu and observe first hand the

innovative programs that are encouraging individuals and families to reach

their full potential and increase their physical, social, intellectual and

emotional well-being.

Well, after posting an introduction to the egroup at the

invitation of Mr Joe , I have been overwhelmed with notice of quite a

number of very innovative attempts to empower families and young people to

make informed decisions about their lives and in the process to sustain

efforts to prevent the spread of STI.

Nowhere has that been more apparent than in the State of Kerala where some

international focus is following the innovation around suicide prevention,

counselling and support to marginalised Indians living and working there.

One of the requests has been to discuss the shape of legislation that might

be enacted so as to control some of the health issues and abuse apparent in

the sex work industry and a significant amount of work has gone into

producing some resources and some university research to discuss with

relevant Ministers in your Government at the request of one of the most

internationally respected NGOs in your State.

Of recent times it is also apparent that some communication breakdown is

occurring between NGOs and the Health Minister in particular where threats

of funding cuts and a fair degree of name-calling is apparent.

This direction is somewhat troubling as it is very easy for entrenched

positions to be taken and innovation and experimentation to be de-railed at

the expense of the community that both levels of care are seeking to serve.

One of the ways to effect a situation where everyone wins is to raise the

standards of professional work practices on both sides and to adopt ethical

standards such that everyone wins.

One of the ways this is achieved is through a harm minimisation approach

that is a lot more difficult to engage than a zero tolerance policy but the

outcomes from an epidemiological view point are astoundingly more

successful. This approach requires the utmost support from Government at the

same time as a highly effective peer education commitment in an industry

which is as old as history itself, yet probably depends more on peer

education than any other.

Part of the preparation material that is coming is material that seeks to

regulate the industry to eliminate child prostitution and kidnapping whilst

at the same time to provide for licensing and health monitoring and a

commitment to protection of workers engaged in that field of endeavour.

In the interests of Kerala having an opportunity to consider the benefits of

such an approach, it would be a pity if the established networks are allowed

to falter through bickering and funding threats without giving time to an

overview that might make Kerala one of the leaders in law reform and better

health outcomes.

Those who attended Barcelona and those like me who attended via very

effective satellite links have come away from this International event with

a resolve to improvise and improve so that for the sake of India and its

people fewer new casualties occur and at the same time standards of care and

responsiveness continue with sensitivity.

My self-funded visit to India is about to begin and Kerala is one State

where some value might be obtained from a truce and some effective mediation

between the NGOs and the Health Department and I would be glad of the

opportunity to be involved in such mediation, so that for the sake of Kerala

and its peoples, we end up with a win-win situation.

Apologies for the length of this email but it was felt that some urgent

response might be useful at this delicate stage of developments.

I would favour your response as Chief Minister so that the obvious gains

apparent in the current intervention projects are not lost in the heated

battle of words.

Yours respectfully,

Geoff Heaviside

Brimbank Community Initiatives Inc

Sponsoring Sunshine Budget Advisory Service

5 Brisbane Street

P.O. Box 606 Sunshine 3020

. Australia.

Ph: 0418 328 278

Ph/Fax : (03) 9311 5052

or in India

Mr Geoff Heaviside

Flat #6 Kash Towers

93 South West Boag Road

T.Nagar, Chennai

INDIA 600017

" Knowledge without justice ought to be called cunning rather than wisdom "

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