India minister vows to beat AIDS

[Guest guest]

India minister vows to beat Aids

India's health minister has said that there will never be an Aids epidemic in

the country.

Ms Swaraj says that condom usage has gone up among Indian men

" I will prove all experts wrong. We are taking on the disease from all fronts.

We are tackling it very bravely, " Minister Sushma Swaraj told the BBC.

India's Health Ministry estimates that 4.58 million people - or roughly 0.8% of

the adult population - are HIV-positive.

Critics say that India's Aids control programme has been marred by sluggish

awareness programmes, rickety treatment facilities and unaccountable

non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

High risk groups

Ms Swaraj said that a 'holistic' approach - as opposed to the previous

'prevention centric' approach - to tackle Aids in India was working.

She said this will check the spread of the disease and remove the stigma about

it.

" (It is about) educating and informing people about how Aids is transmitted, "

said Ms Swaraj.

She said the NGOs were now being given 'area and field specific' tasks,

targeting four high risk groups and areas: commercial sex workers, adolescent

youth, migrant workers and truckers, and parent to child transmission.

" Now we are asking the NGOs which area they want to work in. If they chose sex

workers, we identify the locality and tell them to ensure the supply of condoms

there, " said Ms Swaraj

" We are identifying centres, giving them responsibilities and monitoring their

work. This never [happened] before, " she said.

Ms Swaraj agreed that women in Indian villages were susceptible to infection

from their husbands returning home from working in other states.

The Indian government and its people are facing up to the Aids problem

" We are now making [women's] groups. They talk about the disease and about

telling [your husband] to wear condoms. Otherwise, you just refuse [sex]. This

is the awareness we want among rural women. "

Ms Swaraj said Indians can no longer be " escapist " about safe sex practices and

Aids.

" We cannot brush the disease under the carpet. The attitude is changing very

fast. Now people are talking about it. "

Asked why only one state in India is presently beginning to introduce sex

education in schools, Ms Swaraj said sex education " is becoming part of the

curriculum in every state " .

Ms Swaraj denied that she was the only person talking about the need for sexual

abstinence and faith to control Aids.

" This is the message the World Health Organisation has adopted, " she said.

" [it is] ABC. A is abstinence. B is to be faithful and C is condoms. Using

condoms only is not the only answer to the disease. "

'No prudish approach'

Asked whether the ruling BJP government with its emphasis on Hindu cultural

morality was in denial about Aids, Ms Swaraj said: " This is absolutely

baseless. "

She claimed that during her tenure condom usage had gone up and the number of

distribution outlets had doubled.

" All this has not happened with a prudish approach, " she said.

Ms Swaraj defended the Indian Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani, who has

urged people to lead responsible personal lives.

" Ours is a moral society. While tackling Aids you [cannot] say you lead

licentious lives because [you can use] condoms. I don't think that should be the

message. "

Asked what is the single most important thing the world should do to fight Aids,

Ms Swaraj said people should " change their behaviour " .

" We must be faithful to our partner, " she said.

Earlier this year, Ms Swaraj publicly hugged two HIV-positive children, in an

attempt to dispel myths and remove some of the stigma attached to the condition.

Asked whether she would make a personal pledge on combating Aids, Ms Swaraj

said: " I will love Aids infected children, not reject them. "

________________

Forwarded by RAJESH GWALANI

I doubt whether the promises made are followed and implemented, i hope i am

really wrong

RAJESH GWALANI

E-mail: rajeshgapp@...