BBC: India and AIDS - dodging the issue?

[Guest guest]

India and Aids - dodging the issue?

By Beale BBC correspondent in Delhi

In one of Delhi's charity-run Aids care centres, 20 HIV-infected men,

women and children suffer in secrecy and in silence.

(Photo of Aids victim Koushalya - infected by her husband They're the

lucky ones.)

Most HIV victims in India are shunned by a society that would rather

ignore the virus. But India cannot afford to do that anymore.

Over four-and-a-half million people are now living with HIV/Aids.

(PhotoIrfarn Khan, the centre's co-ordinator, says it's about time

his country confronted the stigma.)

" What we do here is, when the client is admitted, we try and tell the

family also that it is as normal as any other infection and the way

we are dealing with it - the same things can be done back at home, "

Dr Khan says. " That's where we are plugging the gap between

information and trying to bring them back to their families. "

Reluctance to speak

It is aid agencies, rather than the government, that are raising

public awareness.

The United Nations is warning that without a rapid stepping up of the

country's Aids-prevention programme, the epidemic could spread to

tens of millions of Indians.

Doctors could face a huge increase in HIV patients in India But even

politicians who are supposed to be highlighting the problems of Aids

seem reluctant to promote sex education. And that is causing growing

frustration among Aids-awareness campaigners.

Campaigners are also coming under pressure from conservative groups

in India who see talk of condoms and safe sex as a western solution

to a mainly western problem - promiscuity.

'Learn some lessons'

But even married couples in India are not immune to the disease.

Koushalya knew little about Aids until she was infected by her

husband. Doctor Irfarn Khan - HIV is 'as normal as any other

infection'She says its time to get Aids out into the open, and learn

some lessons from South Africa.

" Mandela raised the profile of Aids in South Africa by

appearing at conferences and talking on the media about sex

education, awareness and condoms, " Koushalya says. " We in India have

got to do the same. "

There is hope.

Five hundred politicians from all parties - from the prime minister

to regional representatives - are meeting in Delhi this weekend to

discuss a strategy to combat the virus.

Congress MP Fernandes knows the stakes are high. " We have 10%

of the world's Aids affected people. Going by the percentage it may

not be a problem as of today but going by the population of 1 billion

and the way it multiplies it may definitely be a major threat for the

health of the nation. "

This weekend's conference is a significant step forward. But it will

count for little unless words are soon matched by deeds.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3097923.stm