India seeks Rs.1 billion from World Bank for HIV/AIDS support

April 8, 2006

Chennai, Apr 7 : The third phase of National AIDS Control Programme

would be launched in three months and India was seeking Rs one

billion from the World Bank for the purpose, a top official said

here tonight.

Speaking at a public forum 'Towards HIV/AIDS free world', Director

General of National AIDS Control Organisation Sujata Rao said that

5.2 million cases of HIV positive people had been identified in the

country.

NACO plans to reach a target of one lakh Anti Retro Virals by the

end of this year and a similar quantity by the end of next year, she

said.

People in states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were found to lack

even basic knowledge about HIV/AIDS, she said adding more focus on

nutritional needs of HIV positive persons was need of the hour.

Dr P Krishnamurthy, Project Director, AIDS Prevention & Control

Project, Voluntary Health Services said that in Tamil Nadu,

the " peer educator " model had been successful in sustaining control

programmes.

Sheila Sisulu, Deputy Executive Director, World Food Programme,

Crewe, Director, Centre for the Study of AIDS, South AFrica and

Padma Chandrasekaran, Programme Manager, Avahan-India AIDS

Initiative attended the forum.

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