Union Budget allocations for HIV/AIDS

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Union Budget allocations for HIV/AIDS

INDIAN GOVERNMENT RECOGNISES AIDS CRISIS, PROVIDES HARD and SOFT

SOPS IN THE UNION BUDGET-2006:

The Peoples Health Organisation (India) and AIDS Society of India

(ASI) welcome the union budget 2006. At last, there is a reason to

smile for over 10 million HIV infected people in India (according to

Govt. 5.3 million), as the Budget-2006 has made extra-ordinary

initiatives to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS and related diseases.

The allocation for Health and Family Welfare has been hiked from

8831 crore to 11688 crore (32%) out of which AIDS budget is Rs. 636

crore, 34% more than last budget. Commensurate to the promises to

increase allocations to health, education and social sectors in the

Common Minimum Program (CMP) of the United Progressive Alliance

(UPA), the union government has gone beyond mere lip-service seen

during past few years and has officially recognized the seriousness

of the AIDS epidemic and its consequences.

For the first time the govt. will spend on the AIDS programs from

its coffers. While the budget would provide enough scope for

treatment for those already infected with HIV- the virus that causes

AIDS, even 99% of the uninfected population would be benefited with

an efficient AIDS prevention and control program. The Govt.is

understandings and sensitivity about the HIV infected people has

been further evident from the hard and soft sops provided in the

Union Budget, presented in the Parliament on Feb.28, 2006.

The highlights are:

1)The customs duty has been slashed on 10 anti-HIV and kits from 15%

to 5%

2)Responding to demand to label anti-HIV drugs as ‘life savers’

from NGOs like PHO and ASI, the govt. has exempted anti-HIV drugs

and test kits from excise duty and countervailing duty (CVD).

3)48% Hike for the National Rural Health Mission to Rs 9,065 crore

from Rs 6,075 crore

4)The total health allocation has been increased by 30% from Rs

9,676 crore to Rs 12,546 crore.

5)The National Aids Control Programme budget has been raised from Rs

476 crore to Rs 636 crore; which is 35% more than last year and a

staggering 250% more than that of the budget in 2001-2.

6)Special Diagnostic kits (CD4/CD8, Viral Load tests) are exempted

from Customs Duty and CVD

In this world of major gaps between - have’s and have not’s;

demand and supply; expectations from governments and their

fulfillment, we rarely get a chance to applaud the role of a

government towards its people.

The people with HIV/AIDS and the HIV-caring community in India have

reasons to rejoice the union budget presented in the Parliament for

the fiscal year 2006-2007.

Surely, the Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh and the Finance

Minister Mr. P. Chidambaram have undoubtedly exhibited a major

concern and consideration towards the health of people and a top

level ‘political will’ to contain the AIDS epidemic; which will

be appreciated globally.

In last seven years ARV prices have fallen by almost 90-95% and now

even middle class people can afford ARV. Ironically the AIDS Program

till date has been totally donor-driven and donor-dependent. The

gigantic task of AIDS control was left to the mercy of donor

agencies and the World Bank loans, the second installment of which

expires on March 31, 2006. There was no share from the government

coffers till date and this trend of lack of ownership percolated to

the state and local level in the country as they make no budget

provision for AIDS programs from their own coffers.

The Govt. and the parliamentarians must look into other related

issues to provide further assistance to people with HIV/AIDS in the

form of: Concession in Train travel for treatment, income-tax

exemption for treatment costs and inclusion of HIV/AIDS in Medical

insurance- currently listed in exclusion criteria.

The states also should provide budgets from their coffers to endorse

their ownership of the program in their forthcoming budgets.

Dr. I. S. Gilada,

Secretary General, PHO & AIDS Society of India

Tel. 23061616/ 9820081566

E-mail: <gilada@...>