Re: Reflection: Toronto, Wainberg, and Tagore

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum

I have gone through Dr. Bobby 's reflection on Toronto, (AIDS Conference)

Wainberg, and Tagore.

I am glad the way and in a fitting manner in which you have responded. Like this

there are 110 things which pains you and me in our crusade in HIV/AIDS

prevention and care and support

activities.

Many many human rights violation in HIV/AIDS work. I sometimes use the word

cannibalism in the name of HIV/AIDS work and social service.

People are committing the biggest crime against humanity in the name of HIV/AIDS

work, indiscriminate wastage of resources in the name of HIV/AIDS work and

corporate style of functioning of funding agencies and NGOs to name a few.

Not even a Paracetmal tab. is reaching the most marginalized and discriminated

section of the society i.e HIV/AIDS infected and affected. Thousands of HIV/AIDS

patients including children are dying of HIV/AIDS every day in India and

elsewhere.

Nobody talks about this grass root level reality.

In the year 2005, 60000 children died of HIV/AIDS in India. 95% of the these

deaths could have been prevented, provided we have spent just Rs.100/- per child

per month for providing nutritional support, Health drink, medical support etc.

Every Indian citizen should feel ashamed of this incident.

Where is the money meant for HIV/AIDS going? what is going wrong with Global

fund and other UN, Bilateral agencies and other funding agencies?. Why HIV/AIDS

patients from below the poverty line are dying due to starvation, and with out

having access to treatment?.

Who is responsible for all these things? Why we are allowing bogus consultants

and resources personsto knock away the lions, share of HIV/AIDS resources for

their Luxuries and comforts.

When politicians fall sick, we bring Doctors from abroad or when cinema actor or

actress meet with an accident, special planes to transport them and special

treatment abroad for sports personalities etc, Where us nobody bothers about the

mammoth number of HIV/AIDS

infected and affected dying every day with out access to treatment or due to

starvation. So the greatest challenge humanity is facing today is not HIV/AIDS

but corruption and apathy and some of the world greatest philanthropists will be

shocked to know the way in which their charity is being misused.

Capacity building programs, training programs for staff working in the field of

HIV/AIDS in star hotels in Goa beach etc.etc. and I will be able to write a book

on how resources are being misused in the name of HIV/AIDS work. 90% of the

sufferings of HIV/AIDS infected are due to insensitive attitude towards people

living on HIV/AIDS (PLHAs)

We will be able to contain the epidemic and 90% of the sufferings of HIV/AIDS

infected and affected can be alleviated provided we have a mechanism or strategy

through which the resources reaches the people for whom and purpose for which it

is meant.

Often, every body except the person living with HIV/AIDS is enjoying the

resources in HIV/AIDS work. When you speak of this kind of truth, you will be

the branded as an " anti-social element " or as an " extremist " .

It is unfortunate that even after 25 years into the epidemic, we still don't

have an effective strategy to contain the epidemic. More over strong lobbyies

are preventing government of India and some of the governments elsewhere from

adopting the good strategies/lessons learned in containing other communicable

diseases like Leprosy etc.

The present strategy and efforts will be futile in containing the epidemic. More

over the present efforts are much less than adequate and we have to intensify

our efforts by 10 times to revert the trend of the disease.

World food program (WFP) has sanctioned a reasonably good quantity of food

grains to government of India for the benefit of HIV/AIDS infected and affected

2 ½ year back and after almost 1 ½ of years, TNSACS had been successful in

getting the same and I am told that

one NGO in Bihar is also getting the same. Andhra Pradesh with the highest

number of HIV/AIDS patients, we are yet to get the same and this is how things

are going.

If we have the real concern, even if food grains has to be airlifted, we have to

do it because this is certainly a national calamity.

One of the seven sins which Mahatma Gandhi said is " science with out humanity "

and today's social work or HIV/AIDS work is noting but professionalism with out

humanity.

Again I would like to emphasis is that we have to derive inspiration from mother

" Every person living with HIV/AIS is God among you!, How can you say no to

him " ?- Mother Theresa.

The solders in the war against HIV/AIDS is the grass root level committed

workers and the only weapon we have today is " prevention linked care and

support " and we have to spent 60% of the resources for prevention activities and

40% for care and support.

Thanking you sir,

Yours faithfully

Dr. K.I. ,

Chief Executive, St. 's Trust.

e-mail: <kodiyattu_jacob@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

I fully agree with Dr. 's argument. But, it is unfortunate that neither the

Government or NGOs understand the need of Preventive activities than curative.

This explanation holds to other preventives activities also.

We have also restricted the meaning and scope of media when we talk about " The

role of media " . Media perspective is different from " He said Journalism " and

it is beyond regular publicity and coverage.

But, no funding agency or government is keen in supporting pro people,

interesting, challenging and professional preventive approach towards the issue.

We have been into disseminating information activities and it is very difficult

to show the change, social process and statistics immediately after a project.

Funders insists on tangible results and hardly they understand the role of

preventive activities.

Preventive approach is a slow attitudinal change. I being a Developmental Media

Practitioner, trying to understand these practical constraints at different

levels. And, the role of media based NGOs also very intellectual than practical

in its approach.

The Role of Media is a multi dimensional subject and it needs more discussion.

Regards

Shamantha

Development Media Practitioner

www.saarathi.org

E-MAIL: <shamantha@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

AIDS Awareness Group is an NGO working consistently on " Prevention of HIV / AIDS

through mass scale awareness programmes coupled with information on precautions

and myths, stigma and discrimination issues and attitudes. Precautions are

necessary for the persons who indulge in High Risk behaviour.

We have been working on this theme as it is the most cost effective solution for

containing the spread of HIV infection. Most International and even National

Donors / govt agencies are not turned on with this approach. And funds are

difficult to get.

In our programme inside Tihar Jails in one year we had covered over 30000

prisoners who come from all parts of India. The average population of the 9

jails is about 13000 with an annual turnover of over 75000.

We have found Street Plays and Magic Shows on HIV/AIDS - a very effective medium

for our awareness programmes.

We fully agree with the argument that there is far greater need for preventive

programmes than for treatment based programmes. But they are less glamorous and

tangible results will appear only over a period of time when there is a

perceptible fall in infection rate.

So we watch helplessly when funds go to those who support programmes which are

for more Care Homes and Treatment - the programmes which become necessary when

we have failed in our effort to prevent new infections and reverse the trend of

the disease.

We would appreciate some one to help us in our prevention programme and

suggestions for possible sources for funding for it.

Regards,

Siddhartha,

for AIDS Awareness Group (AAG)

e-mail: <aagindya@...>