Dr. Ramadoss addresses at 17th International AIDS Conference in Mexico

August 9, 2008

Dr. Ramadoss addresses delegates at 17th International AIDS

Conference in Mexico City

" ENABLING ENVIRONMENT THAT CAN ENSURE HIV PREVENTION SERVICES FOR ALL

WHO NEED THEM IS KEY TO OVERCOMING THE HIV EPIDEMIC, " SAYS HEALTH

MINISTER

" India's dedicated focus on HIV prevention is fetching dividends. We

are seeing the beginning of the stabilization of the HIV epidemic in

India, " said Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss, Minister for Health and Family

Welfare, Government of India. He was addressing experts and delegates

at the17th International Conference on AIDS in Mexico City. " We must

not be complacent, however, " he cautioned, stressing that " the key to

overcoming the HIV epidemic is to take HIV services to those on the

margins of society and we can only do that in an enabling

environment. "

India's targeted HIV intervention approach which relies on strong

community participation has resulted in larger numbers of people

accessing HIV prevention, treatment and care services. Responding to

questions from the delegates, the Minister expressed his strong

support for the draft legislation on HIV which is currently being

whetted by the Law Ministry. " Structural discrimination against those

who are vulnerable to HIV such as sex workers and MSM must be removed

if our prevention, care and treatment programs are to succeed, " he

said. " Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalizes Men

who have sex with Men, must go. "

India has about 2.5 million HIV infections and many states have

started recording a stabilization of the epidemic. However, hotspots

of HIV infection are emerging in northern India, particularly in the

rural interiors, which are home to thousands of migrants who work

outside their states in India's economic hubs like Mumbai and

Surat. " Initiatives that address the unique needs of migrants must be

immediately launched to avert a potential rise of HIV infections

among migrant populations, " said Ms.K.Sujatha Rao, Additional

Secretary and Director General of the National AIDS Control

Organization, India's apex body leading the country's response to HIV

and AIDS.

India has begun a massive scale up of prevention care and treatment

strategies to achieve universal coverage by 2011 through the National

AIDS Control Program- III which was launched last year.

DS/GK/Aids-377: Friday, August 08, 2008

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