UK Aids strategy to change in India

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UK Aids strategy to change in India

By Ray Marcelo in New Delhi

Published: October 6 2004 03:00 | Last updated:

October 6 2004 03:00

The UK will " redesign " its £123m ($219m, €179m)

strategy to fight HIV/Aids in India to reflect the new

Congress party-led government's increased willingness

to tackle the disease, Gareth , British junior

minister for international development, said

yesterday.

" India has the world's second highest number of HIV

infections following only South Africa, " Mr

said in New Delhi. " The sheer numbers of vulnerable

people mean it is a huge challenge for the country. "

However, the British plan has hit bureaucratic

barriers at India's National Aids Control Organisation

(Naco), and only £28m has been disbursed in the last

few years. Mr said he was encouraged by the new

Indian government's " flexible " approach on Aids

control and has pledged to spend the remaining £95m by

March 2007.

" We are redesigning the programme because the new head

of Naco has been keen to step up Naco's work, " he

said. " India has changed the way it operates and we

respond to that. "

Naco has long endured criticism from foreign donors

for its excessively bureaucratic culture. But SY

Quraishi, its new head, has brought " a breath of fresh

air " to the organisation, said a senior British

official.

Dr Quraishi has invited public scrutiny of Naco's

operations and has led Aids awareness campaigns,

including an acclaimed television series produced by

Naco, the BBC World Service Trust, and India's

national broadcaster. But this campaign, which is

funded by the UK, has had its hiccups. Last year

India's government banned an advertisement that showed

a woman packing condoms in her husband's luggage.

The Congress government, elected in May, appears less

squeamish when discussing sexual health. It has

permitted condom advertising to return to television.

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