PM’s address at the release of the report of the Commission on AIDS in Asia

[Guest guest]

PM's address at the release of the report of the Commission on AIDS

in Asia

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh has released the report of the

Commission on AIDS in Asia entitled " Redefining AIDS in Asia:

Crafting an Effective Response " in New Delhi today. Following is the

text of the Prime Minister's speech on the occasion:

" I am indeed very pleased to launch this very important Report of the

Commission on AIDS in Asia. I compliment my esteemed friend, Dr. C.

Rangarajan, and his colleagues on the Commission for producing an

extremely important and thought provoking report. It is a well-

researched document that puts together information and analysis that

can help us evolve more effective strategies for reversing the

HIV/AIDS epidemic in the countries of Asia.

It is heartening to note that the report validates the basic

strategic framework that has been adopted in India. It reiterates and

reconfirms our understanding of the epidemic. It shows that the

measures that we have adopted in India to reverse the pandemic have a

sound basis but there is no scope for complacency and Dr. Rangarajan

has just now reminded us. We need to do more, we must do more and all

segment of the national thinking community must be actively involve

in this gigantic struggle against this menace of AIDS.

The report has underlined clearly the importance of a public health

approach to the problem if we want truly sustainable gains. The

public health approach places emphasis on strategies that focus on

vulnerable population groups, among whom the virus is primarily

lodged, and goes to the root of the problem with the objective of

arresting its onward transmission.

It is a matter of some satisfaction that the situation in India is

not as alarming as it was portrayed to be some years ago. While it

used to be claimed that India may have up to 5 million persons

affected by HIV, more recent estimates suggest that the number could

be between 2 to 3 million, mainly in the States of Andhra Pradesh,

Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. But there is no scope for

complacency, as I said. We must regularly review strategies and the

programme contained for increased enhanced effectiveness.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has brought into focus many of our prevalent

social prejudices. The overwhelming number of cases are due to

transmission through the sexual route. Strategies for tackling it,

therefore, require more inclusive and less judgmental social

approaches to questions of public health and personal hygiene.

This must begin by addressing the issue of the social stigma that

attaches to those who carry the AIDS virus. I do believe that growing

consciousness about HIV/AIDS is forcing us to address these issues

but the speed of the response need to be greatly accelerated.

The government should play a leading role in this and I commend our

Government to do precisely it. We seek your enlightened guidance how

to strengthen our programme. We should work to remove legislative

barriers that hinder access of high-risk groups to services. There is

a proposal for a law which would penalize anyone discriminating

against an AIDS infected person from access to employment, property

or other services. This should be given serious consideration.

The fact that many of the vulnerable social groups, be they sex

workers or homosexuals or drug users, face great social prejudice has

made the task of identifying AIDS victims and treating them very

difficult.

If we have to win this fight against HIV/AIDS we have, therefore, to

create a more tolerant social environment. One need not condone

socially unacceptable or medically inadvisable sexual practices in

seeking a more tolerant approach to the problem. It is in the

interests of the entire society that everyone afflicted by AIDS wins

the battle against it. They deserve and have the right to live lives

of dignity and self respect.

The target intervention projects that have been taken up with a focus

on vulnerable populations are useful and necessary. This should be

accompanied by more broad based educational programmes. Modern sex

education at the appropriate school stages can be of great value.

The report has highlighted the importance of political engagement and

leadership as a key part of national responses to HIV and AIDS. Law

enforcement agencies and the judiciary need to be co-opted to support

progressive policies that address the problem and in this context, I

wish to commend the good work that is being done by our

parliamentarian under the guidance of my esteemed colleague and

friend Sh. Fernandes to mobilize the political will of our

nation as an effective instrument of dealing of this massive societal

problem.

The importance of community and civil society involvement at all

stages of policy needs to be emphasized and it has been done in the

Report. It is only with their help that public awareness regarding

healthy sexual practices, including the use of condoms, can be widely

propagated and social prejudices ended.

We need to understand the vulnerabilities that force some to resort

to risky behaviour patterns and give them access to reliable and

relevant information and basic services. We must give them adequate

support to make their own choices in full awareness and

responsibility. We need to encourage behaviour change and mould

social attitudes, while shedding our inhibitions regarding matters

related to sexual choices.

Our Government is fully committed to supporting the strategies and

work being done by the National AIDS Control Organisation. It is

heartening to see the strides that have been made in the last two

years in scaling up access to services keeping in view the balance

between prevention and treatment. I compliment the Union Health

Ministry and NACO for the leadership they have shown in tackling this

very difficult problem and containing the disease. But as I said

earlier we must be ever more vigilant. We can not be satisfied with

the status quo and you must therefore strive to improve the

effectiveness of prevalent strategies as well as the Programme

content.

I appeal to all medical practitioners, hospitals and blood banks

across the country to adopt zero risk and best practice methods for

blood collection and blood transfusion. Every citizen must have

complete confidence in our blood safety practices. I am therefore,

happy that an initiative has been taken to establish a national blood

transfusion authority.

The problem of HIV/AIDS, and other pandemics like SARS and Avian Flu,

demonstrate clearly the wisdom of that ancient Indian

saying, " Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam " . That " THE WHOLE WORLD IS ONE LARGE

FAMILY " . Like all phenomenon in nature, diseases do not respect

national boundaries. Hence societal response to pandemics cannot be

limited to national response mechanism alone.

Of course, every country and every government must have a strategy to

deal with such threats to human safety and health. We need preventive

and curative strategies at the national and local level. But, such

national effort must be part of a wider regional and global effort. I

am therefore, happy to see that my friend Dr. Rangaranjan chaired

this commission which takes a wider view of the problem at the Asian

level.

We live in an increasingly integrated world. There are few problems

today that humankind faces which can be solved effectively within

national boundaries by individual governments. Be it the problem of

pandemics, be it the problem of food security, be it the problem of

rising energy prices, be it the problem of water scarcity and water

utilization, be it the problem of climate change and global warming,

be it the problem of terrorism, be it the problem of drug peddling

and arms proliferation, be it the threat of the proliferation of

weapons of mass destruction - all of them require effective

cooperative action at the global level.

Each and every challenge that we face has transnational dimensions

and transnational implications. The world in which national

governments have to deal with the challenges they face on their own,

on the premise of national sovereignty and national self-interest, no

longer exists. We live in the era of increasing global

interdependence of nations.

I am encouraged by the fact that the global response to HIV/AIDS has

been constructive and has yielded positive results. But there is

scope for much more involvement of the global community. I hope this

will show us the way forward in dealing with other similar

challenges. I hope this valuable report adds to the available wisdom

on the subject and will help us in shaping a more effective response

at home. I compliment the authors of this report

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