NACO is substituting consultants for staff: UN expert

[Guest guest]

India needs to strengthen AIDS control body: UN expert

New Delhi | October 12, 2005 9:15:06 AM IST

India's efforts to check the spread of HIV/AIDS are on the right

track, but there is a need to strengthen the national AIDS control

body and focus more on youth and women, says an UN expert.

" There is a need for the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO)

to be strengthened. It has just nine senior officials for handling

the huge programme, " said Nafis Sadik, special advisor to the UN

secretary-general and special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Asia and the

Pacific.

Stating that the Indian health minister was aware of and concerned

about the lack of the professional staff, Sadik told IANS in an

interview: " Though the resources are there, they have not been

properly allocated. "

Stating that " India is going in the right direction of progress " ,

Sadik however felt there was need for greater involvement of all

levels of political leadership, religious groups, NGOs, legislation

and legislators, " because you need all partners to change how people

perceive HIV/AIDS.

With an estimated 5.1 million HIV positive people, India is ranked

second after South Africa in number of people suffering from the

deadly disease.

" Unlike Brazil's national programme, which has 100 people in the

coordinating body, in NACO there are altogether 15 people with more

consultants than professionals of their own.

" There is no way nine professionals can manage 30 consultants. That

is not the role of consultants, who should be used to build an

institution. NACO is substituting consultants for staff. "

In addition to formulating the strategy for the implementation of

the AIDS control programme, NACO has other responsibilities

including coordinating programmes of state governments, the NGOs and

also donors.

" I hope in the new programme being formulated, this is one of the

areas where the government will do something, " said Sadik,

expressing happiness that the National Commission on AIDS Control is

now going to be chaired by the prime minister.

The UN expert said while the donors are willing to provide

staff, " they cannot be a substitute for national capacity.

Consultants can provide technical input but should not be doing the

programme execution " .

The national commission is scheduled to meet Saturday to formulate

the next stage of the HIV/AIDS control programme and to see how it

can be integrated into other national programmes.

" We have to remove the stigma, the discrimination and the denial to

accept that people infected with HIV/AIDS can lead normal and long

life with treatment and care.

" People need to put the AIDS message not only as a separate

programme but also in mainstream programmes. Women's development

programmes should include HIV/AIDS as it has a lot to do with their

vulnerability, " she said.

Ignorant of AIDS before they get married, many young married women,

the official said, get infected from their husbands who could have

had sex with commercial sex workers. Unlike with men, any infection

caught by women is detected when they go for pre-natal check-up

after pregnancy.

In the case of youth, with the changing morality, the official

stressed the need for peer education and making adolescents aware

about responsible sexual behaviour.

" Most countries that were once resistant to the idea of making

condoms accessible to youngsters and educating adolescents on

sexuality are becoming more pragmatic, " she said.

" Sexual morals are changing whether we like it or not. The first

message for them should be abstinence and if they don't do that, we

need to protect their health. "

(IANS)

http://news.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=135239 & cat=Health

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

 

Yes, I fully agree and feel that more dedicated professionals should come

forward and make NACO more stronger. A consultant can never get involved in any

social work like this. He/ she can only give advice/ support from outside and

not actually help in any implementation.

If the amount of fund NACO has is properly channelized then HIV and AIDS

prevention program could have been more successful and there was nothing to be

concerned of.

Smita Chatterjee

e-MAIL: <smita_chatt@...>