PM Seeks Quick Response to AIDS Crisis

[Guest guest]

Indian PM Seeks Quick Response to AIDS Crisis

Sat Jul 26,10:28. By Sugita Katyal

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee s)

called on Saturday for an immediate response to HIV/AIDS, which has

struck more than four million people in the country, the second

largest number in the world after South Africa.

" HIV/AIDS is not only a grave global challenge. It is equally a

national concern, one that demands an effective and undelayed

response, " Vajpayee told India's first conference on HIV/AIDS geared

to the country's lawmakers.

" We are particularly concerned that India has over four million men,

women and children living with the virus. "

Vajpayee was speaking a day after the government announced that the

number people in India with HIV/AIDS had surged to 4.58 million from

3.97 million in 2001, narrowing the gap with South Africa which at

around five million has the largest HIV/AIDS population in the world.

Experts warn that given the rate at which the disease is spreading

among India's billion-plus population, the country will overtake

South Africa in absolute numbers in the next few years.

A U.S. intelligence report last year projected India would have the

highest number of HIV/AIDS cases at 20-25 million by 2010. The Indian

government says the report is exaggerated. Vajpayee also urged

greater political involvement in the battle against HIV/AIDS.

" It requires leadership that is ready to go to the heart of the

problem and is ready even to go against the stream of public

opinion, " Vajpayee told the National Convention of Elected

Representatives on HIV/AIDS, which brought together about 600 people

including lawmakers, state leaders and AIDS activists.

" We need also to demonstrate openness and a complete absence of

prejudice toward affected persons, " he said. The government has a

nationwide program to halt the spread of the disease, but HIV/AIDS

has spread from traditionally high-risk groups such as prostitutes,

drug users and homosexuals to rural areas and to urban areas with

huge migrant populations.

On Friday, UNAIDS chief Piot told Reuters the stigma associated

with HIV made it tougher to deal with the disease in India, where

nearly 40 percent of sufferers were women. " How many of these 4.5

million have come out and spoken about it? And how many of those who

are known to be HIV-positive are not discriminated against or lost

their jobs? How many women who are HIV-positive have been kicked out

of their house? " said Piot.

" How can you fight something when it's hidden? "