Wanted : Mr. India- Condom

[Guest guest]

India hopes to unwrap a Mr Condom

India, struggling to promote greater condom use among its population,

is looking to hire its own " condom man " to follow the example of a

former Thai cabinet minister who successfully pushed for safer sex.

National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) chief Sujatha Rao said that

India needed to find someone like Mechai Viravaidya, famous for

getting Thais to talk about sex, condoms and AIDS.

" We are serious about finding India's very own Mr Condom, " Rao was

quoted as saying after visiting Thailand to study its dramatic

increase in condom usage over the past decade, which contributed to a

sharp fall in new HIV infections.

" He has to feel passionately about the cause as Mechai does ... have

a dynamic personality to change both government policy and public

perceptions about HIV/AIDS, sex and condoms, " Rao was quoted in The

Times of India as saying.

Mechai became famous in Thailand as the " Condom King " for actions

such as taking condoms to World Bank talks as well as for the name of

his Bangkok restaurant " Cabbages and Condoms, " where condoms are a

major part of the decor.

Authorities in India, where many people are hesitant to talk about

sex and condoms openly, are trying to push condom use through

television, radio and newspapers and by targeting high-risk groups.

India has millions of people who are HIV-positive and many of them

face discrimination and prejudice. The government plans to announce a

new $2.8-billion ($A3.31 billion) plan next month to fight HIV,

heavily focusing on promotion of condoms.

Britain's Department for International Development said on Friday it

would provide 102 million pounds ($A241.29 million) for the five-year

plan, doubling its funding despite a new survey indicating India's

HIV caseload of 5.7 million - the world's largest - could be a big

overestimate.

Total donations are expected to touch about $900 million ($A1.06

billion), including from the World Bank and USAID.

In Thailand, Viravaidya's organisation - the Population and Community

Development Association of Thailand - won the $1 million ($A1.18

million)Gates Award for Global Health this year that is awarded by

the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

http://au.news./070701/2/13vhj.htm

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

I would like to share my experience of meeting Mechai Viravaidya in Bangkok in

2004. I was at an upscale hotel attending a workshop on Advocacy for issues of

Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health -the last day of the workshop Mechai

was invited to have dinner with all the participants and share his experiences.

he came in and as he spoke he said (This is not verbatim but the essence of what

I recall) " Advocacy begins at home- this hotel has been yours for the past few

days- have any of you asked the young people who man the reception if they have

any knowledge of AIDS, Condoms etc. Well I did as I walked in and many wanted to

know and many did not know anything. " He drove home the point effectively.

Well in our situtation easier said than done. But finding Mr Condom is a good

beginning.

Finding Mr India's condom man is not going to be easy. What will the

eligibility criteria? Popular across all classes and all over the country

language, age caste creed no bar. Some basic knowledge of sex and sexuality and

ofcourse correct knowledge of AIDS. Someone who has a sense of humour, can

think standing on his feet.

As I write this the one name that comes to my mind is Navjot Singh Sidhu.

A suggestion - can AIDS INDIA or some other forum run a poll on who would be the

choice and why?

Since women also stand to benefit if condom usage increases maybe we can have a

condom man/woman? any takers?

Dr Charulatha Banerjee

25A, Sarat Bose Road

3B, Sindu apartments

KOLKATA 700020

e-mail: <charulatha.banerjee@...>