Stop AIDS Keep the promise: Universal Access and Human Rights

[Guest guest]

World AIDS Day message 2009 from the Catholic Church in India

Stop AIDS Keep the promise: Universal Access and Human Rights

The theme for The World AIDS Day (Dec 1), each year, is chosen after extensive

consultation by many global health organizations including WHO and UNAIDS. For

each World AIDS day from 2005 to 2010,the theme chosen is " stop AIDS; keep the

promise " with a yearly subtheme. Thus, the theme for this year (2009) is " Stop

AIDS; keep the promise: Universal Access and Human Rights " .

Is it possible? to stop AIDS; to keep the promise; to provide universal access

to those who are infected with the virus; and to respect the human rights of

those affected and suffering from HIV? For

most of the common people, HIV (the infection) and AIDS (the syndrome/sickness)

are the same.

Most of them do not understand that an HIV infected person, can be assisted, in

preventing the infection progressing into its final stage - AIDS, and can live a

normal life. In such a situation, it is dificult to believe that AIDS CAN be

stopped!

ART, the great contribution: Ever since HIV became a problem, there had been

efforts to stop it from becoming a threat to humanity. So many individuals,

groups, organizations, and countries have

contributed to this effort.

One of the greatest contributions of science and technology to humanity is ART

(Anti Retroviral Therapy) that prevents HIV infection from progressing into

AIDS. Today with the availability of ART, it IS possible to stop HIV infection

progressing into AIDS, and prevent unnecessary, suffering and premature death.

With the incorporation of ART into the national programs, and availability of

drugs through the ART centers, free of cost, universal access has become a

possibility!

Universal access: But how do we ensure that these contributions of science,

technology and national programs, result in universal access? That every HIV

infected child, mother, and adult have

access to ART? One of the important ways is by rediscovering the principles of

Primary Health Care (PHC).

PHC is essential health care, accessible for all, at a cost they can afford.

One of the 4 principles of PHC is equitable distribution - " commitment to health

equity as part of development, oriented to social

justice " . That is the key to universal access. That is where all have to keep

their promises! The pharmaceutical industries need to make ART available at

afordable prices; the politicians have to work towards good governance that

strengthens the primary health care systems of the country.

The NGOs, CBOs, FBOs, the corporate sector, the peoples' movements, and the

other civil society initiatives, need to rise

above their own little world and work together, towards strengthening the

National programs, and by standing for the people.

Catholic social teachings and `distributive justice: Distributive justice is

very much part of the catholic social teachings. Much before the primary health

Care declaration at Alma Ata (Sept. 12,

1978), Catholic Church spoke about social justice and equitable distribution

(distributive justice), through its encyclical, `Rerum Novarum' by Pope Leo XIII

(May 15, 1891) " Among the many and grave duties of rulers who would do their

best for the people, the _rst and chief is to act with strict justice- with that

which is justice called distributive - toward each and every class alike " (RN,

33).

The social teaching of the Church is translated into action in the field of

health care through its vast health care network in the country, which is the

2nd largest, next to the government of India.

Of the 5500 plus health care institutions of the catholic church in India, about

80% of them are small clinics in the remote parts of the country, contributing

to primary health care, through its committed work force, mostly religious

sisters. These clinics can very much be part of the national program, to ensure

universal access.

Indian Church and HIV/AIDS: The Catholic Church in India had been involved in

the field of HIV/AIDS ever since it became a problem in India. This involvement

had been in the areas of prevention,

care, and rehabilitative services through its vast network of NGOs, CBOs, and

other institutions; for example, the various congregations like the Camillians,

other congregations run by religious sisters, CHAI, diocesian social service

societies, Caritas India Network, Sister Doctors, Catholic Nurses Guild, CRS,

CMMB, St. 's Medical College, and so on.

The effort to bring together many of the above mentioned

networks as a coalition for HIV/AIDS became concretized with the registration of

this coalition into a separate society, CBCI CARD (CBCI Coalition for Aids and

Related Diseases).

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), through its health commission,

had been involved in the PACT project (Promoting Access to Care and Treatment)

sponsored by the Global Fund since June, 2007.

This is being done as a concrete expression and example of the CBCI policy on

HIV/AIDS – " Commitment to Compassion and Care " . Under the PACT project CBCI has

been able to set up 44 Community Care Centers (CCC) in five states - Gujarat,

West Bengal, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Orissa.

A total of 18,381 People Living with HIV (PLHIV) have been enrolled and accessed

services from these CCCs till August 2009. These

CCCs have been assisting the ART centers, for providing short term care,

counseling, and ensuring drug adherence of the PLHIV, who were started on

treatment. Moreover, 97 PLHIV is working with us as project

staff. Their presence in the project is truly inspirational for their peers, who

discover hope, in the midst of discrimination and suffering!

Conclusion: On this world AIDS day, in solidarity with all other organizations,

the Catholic Church in India, `in the footsteps of Jesus the divine healer',

will continue its `commitment to compassion and care for those affected by

HIV/AIDS, to stop AIDS; to keep the promise; to bring forth universal access and

to work towards the promotion of the human rights of every citizen of India,

living with HIV/AIDS, especially the poor and the marginalized!

December 1, 2009

Archbishop Bernard Moras, Chairman, CBCI Health Commission

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_AIDS_Day

http://www.euro.who.int/AboutWHO/Policy/20010827_1

http://www.who.int/whr/2003/chapter7/en/index1.html

_________________________

Warm regards,

Fr. Mathew Abraham

Executive Secretary

CBCI Health Commission

e-mail: <mathewcssr@...>