Spiritual leaders steer HIV/AIDS care in India

[Guest guest]

Spiritual leaders steer HIV/AIDS care in India

Chennai, Nov 22 (IANS) Spiritual leaders, including Sri Sri Ravi

Shankar and Bishop Lawrence Pius Dorai Raj, have come together to

fight HIV/AIDS, stressing the need for preventive care for a disease

that has hit five million Indians.

They discussed HIV/AIDS care, giving the much-needed prophetic voice

to the stigma and discrimination related to the disease. Many of them

head groups that care for HIV infected people, providing them

counselling as well.

At the third global inter-faith coalition meet on HIV/AIDS here over

the weekend, leaders from varying religions exchanged ideas on

spreading awareness about the illness and the importance of providing

patients love and care.

Spiritual gurus like Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev, Ponnambala Adigalar and

Sadhvi Sadhana were also present at the meet organised by Voluntary

Health, Education and Rural Development Society (Vherds).

" Without the body, there can be no soul, " said Vasudev, whose Isha

Foundation runs 2,432 mobile help clinics in 2,000 Tamil Nadu

villages, assisting in care programmes.

According to Vherds, faith-based bodies have " historically provided a

vital network for community based work " . It stresses that these

groups should play the key role in " compassionate care " for HIV/AIDS

infected.

The conference also saw the presence of Nawab of Arcot Mohammad Abdul

Ali, Kuruvilla of the Christian Conference of Asia and Dato

J. Jegathesan of the International Sai Samaj, Malaysia.

The Sikh faith was represented by Manjit Singh, the Baha'is by

Mohajer and the Zoarastrians by Dame Meher Master Moos - all three

well-known medical practitioners.

" AIDS and HIV care is a difficult task " , Vasudev told IANS. " One must

win the trust of the people, otherwise it is not possible to provide

care.

" There has to be close relationship between the care giver and the

community. We have won that trust, and our mobile clinics are able to

offer assistance in remote rural areas " , he added.

" It is also very important to ensure that no discrimination is made

on the basis of religion in giving care to HIV/AIDS victims, said

Vasudev.

Sujatha Rao, director of National Aids Control Organisation (NACO),

Rabia Mathai of the Christian Medical Board, New York, Denis Broun of

UNAID, M. Clay of USAID and Po Lin Chain of WHO also made

presentations.

Issues like care for commercial sex workers and result-oriented

programmes to fight discrimination were also debated.

Indian Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss and Tamil Nadu Health

Minister K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran graced the podium.

Ramadoss said India was considering the option of providing drug

addicts with " safe needles " to bring down HIV/AIDS infection from the

use of the same needle by several people repeatedly.

" The health ministry is in consultation with the ministry of law and

the home ministry on how to do this legally, " he said.

Ramadoss added that the bill against discrimination of AIDS patients

would be introduced in the 2007 budget session.

http://www.teluguportal.net/modules/news/article.php?storyid=22309