$10mn Australian grants to battle AIDS in N-E

November 3, 2005

IANS Guwahati Nov 2: Australia has announced a $10 million grant to

fight the spread of HIV/AIDS in India's northeastern region that has

one of the highest infection rates in the country.

The Australian Agency for International Development, a government

venture for overseas aid programmes in developing countries, has

entrusted UNAIDS — the United Nations programme on HIV/AIDS — to

implement the project that is expected to begin next month.

" The goal of this project is to contribute to India's response in

reducing the risk and impact of HIV/AIDS and providing a

comprehensive response to the pandemic, " an AusAID statement said.

The North-East is considered one of India's high-risk zones with

close to 100,000 people reported to be infected with HIV.

Manipur, bordering Myanmar, alone accounts for 20,000 infected

people, according to official figures that tend to underestimate the

spread as they rely solely on cases reported by hospitals.

" The Australian project would definitely go a long way in our fight

against HIV/AIDS in the region, besides launching an aggressive

awareness campaign, " said Mr Dwijen Sharma, an MP from Assam.

A committee comprising officials of the health department from these

states and representatives of AusAID would be formed soon to work

out modalities for utilising the funds.

Meanwhile, lawmakers from the North-East are holding an HIV/AIDS

conclave in Guwahati on November 19 to work out a roadmap for

battling the killer disease.

" Chief ministers of all the states, parliamentarians, and healthcare

workers were expected to attend the conclave, " Mr Sharma said.

Authorities fear the disease may further spread because of the

region's acute drug menace.

The North-East lies on the edge of the heroin-producing " Golden

Triangle " of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. Independent estimates have

put the number of regular intravenous drug users in the region at up

to 300,000 - a key cause of HIV infection here.

" More than promiscuity, sharing of needles among intravenous drug

users in the northeast is responsible for the spread of the disease

at such an alarming rate, " said Mr S I Ahmed, an anti-AIDS

campaigner.

India accounts for about 5.1 million HIV-positive people, next only

to South Africa.

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