UNAIDS chief meets with Maharashtra CM

[Guest guest]

UNAIDS CHIEF MEETS MAHARASHTRA C.M. to take STOCK OF AIDS WORK

Amidst political melee, after the new government took over the reigns of

Maharashtra state following general elections, the second official meeting,

the Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh had was for the steps to be taken to

make Maharashtra a model state in consultation with the UNAIDS chief Dr.

Piot. Dr. Piot is visiting India, following the change of guards at the centre

and three of the most HIV-prone states- Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh (AP) and

Karnataka, to take stock of the AIDS situation and steps taken by the union and

different state governments.

After the first review meeting of the state machinery at the state head

quarters 'Mantralaya', Mr. Deshmukh presided over the meeting to discuss

HIV/AIDS scenario in the state, the current response of the state and the future

plan of action,

so that the Maharashtra state, especially city of Mumbai becomes a role model

for rest of India in handling the AIDS epidemic.

After meeting President of India and Union Health Minister in Delhi on 2nd

November, Dr. Piot lead 4-member UNAIDS delegation to Mumbai on 3rd Nov.and

left for Hyderabad today. The new Director of National AIDS Control Organisation

(NACO) Dr. S.Y Quraishi, Director of the Mumbai District AIDS Control Society

(MDACS) Dr.Alka Gogate, PHO Secretary Dr.I.S.Gilada and Maharashtra Anti-TB

Association chief Dr.K.C.Mohanty deliberated with the CM and UNAIDS delegation

on several aspects of an unified response to HIV/AIDS.

Dr. Piot expressed his concern over the growing HIV problem in India in general

and Maharashtra in particular, but expressed his deep appreciation for the

heightened political will to tackle the worst epidemic of the recent times.

Having pleased with Union Minister for Human Resource Development Mr. Arjun

Singh's meeting with other six union ministers and their officials for

achieving multi-sectroral collaboration to fight AIDS, Dr. Piot said for the

first time ever the Indian Govt. decided to spend money from its own coffers,

from respective ministry's budgets, independent of international aid. Dr. Piot

wanted Maharashtra state to follow the suit. Dr. Quraishi informed the CM that

Maharashtra has a dubious distinction of being a state with largest number of

HIV/AIDS patients and this situation needed a change by making HIV awareness,

condom promotion and behavioural change top priorities from the World AIDS Day

(Dec. 1, 2004) to achieve 'Zero' growth rate in HIV by the year 2006.

Appreciating the efforts of MDACS and several NGOs in the fight against AIDS,

Dr. Quraishi said it is possible make Maharashtra in general and Mumbai city in

particular model for others.

Dr. Gilada said Mumbai is no more only the AIDS capital of India but it is also

the AIDS Control and AIDS management capital of India. Dr. Mohanty suggested

that there should be a high-power committee to achieve multi-sectoral

collaboration directly under the Chief Secretary of the state and Hon.ble CM

should review the situation from time to time, to which the CM responded

affirmatively.

It may be recalled that the NACO has put in 5.1 million HIV infections inIndia;

while the Union Health Minister Dr. Ambumani Ramadoss called for external

evaluation of the AIDS work and to assess the realistic HIV/AIDS figures for

India, suggesting it could be higher numbers.

The six worst affected states are Maharashtra (2.4% HIV prevalence); AP (2.7%);

Karnataka (2.5%); Tamil Nadu (1.8%); Manipur and Nagaland (1.6%). Maharashtra

has

the highest number of HIV cases, though AP and Karnataka have overtaken in

HIV prevalence during last 3 years.

Dr.I.S.Gilada, Secretary General, PHO

E-mail: <ihoaids@...>