Re: Health Services and HIV Treatment: Complex Issues and Options

December 19, 2003

Dear Moderator and the forum,

With reference to letter dated 19.12.2003R (Health Services and HIV Treatment:

Complex Issues and Options)

We can look at things from myriad angles. The more we look into it the more our

vision gets blurred. So let's stop seeing the dark side of the moon. Let's be

more optimistic.

Now that the WHO has indeed come up with a GIGANTIC plan by committing to treat

30 lakhs by 2005 with ARVs and this is what we all have been praying, protesting

and demanding for.

We have been facilitating ART to 82 ARV users since 2000 and been facing ranges

of complexities which we will never be able to find any sane solution. Despite

of all such drawbacks they have been taking the pills and so far living quality

lives. And that's what the other 45 lakhs of Indians require at this hour.

We all can find the best way to deliver ART. It has to be a comprehensive,

integrated, co-ordinated and concerted approach where all the stakeholders

including the private and public sector; the government and the non government;

and persons without or with the HIV must all put up at an all out effort and

respond to this mammoth " 3 by 5 Mission to India " initiated by the WHO. And we

should be really thanking them instead of bragging about its negative impacts.

We all know that things (ART) will just not started by just giving the ARVs.

There is still a lot of ground work to be done and for that we all need to chip

in our best efforts in making this MISSION an effective mission.

Let us also look at from those poor PLWHA's angle. This is a dream come true for

them. You can literally see the glow of hope in their eyes. And some of them are

so excited that you can see tears rolling down their cheeks. Now that they know

they are going to live for some more years that some of them have even started

to plan for the future. Aren't this marvelous?

Last but not the least I would like to remind to all of you that ART is indeed a

real complex issue but with our sincere and collective effort we can make it as

easy as pie.

Let us all go the airplane first than the parachutes cause that's what we need

now!

Ronny Waikhom

E-mail: <ronny_waik@...>

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