Rural India in big HIV-AIDS push

[Guest guest]

Rural India in big HIV-AIDS push

India has launched a major offensive against HIV-Aids involving

hundreds of village leaders.

The focus on the rural areas comes as nearly 60% of HIV positive

people live in the country's villages.

India now has some 5.7 million people infected with the HIV virus.

Only South Africa has a comparable problem.

Officials say poverty, migration and limited access to health care

are the main reasons which make rural India more vulnerable to the

disease.

The new initiative was launched in the Indian capital Delhi by the

government in partnership with UNAids.

'Disease of intimacy'

The event, which was attended by some 500 village council leaders,

aims to enlist their support in containing the spread of the

disease.

" Aids is a disease of intimacy and has a lot to do with things that

are personal, such as sex and death, " UNAids executive director

Denis Broun told the convention.

" The local-level bodies are the closest to the people, hence their

cooperation is very important, " he said.

Mr Broun said the experiment of using mayors and leaders of local

bodies for spreading HIV awareness has worked well in Africa and

North America.

The head of the National Aids Control Organisation, Sujatha Rao,

said migrant workers and truck drivers have been identified as

groups which take the infection to rural areas.

Aids education

She said the programme would train local leaders to help women with

Aids, who have to deal with discrimination and isolation.

Ms Rao said local leaders would be encouraged to make condoms more

accessible and introduce Aids education in schools.

The village councils manage rural development plans, community

services, public health and family welfare.

The council members generally belong to the village and have direct

access to all the families in their area.

Officials say because of their wide reach, they have the potential

to make a difference.

Low awareness

They are now being encouraged to make HIV and Aids part of local-

level planning and address various myths associated with the

disease.

Despite the threat the virus poses to the general population,

experts admit that the awareness about the spread and prevention of

the disease is very low, particularly among women.

Also, they say, the low social status of women in India makes them

more vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases.

Although India has had HIV-Aids for two decades now, steps to

control the disease have seriously been taken up only in the last

six years or so.

And most of the awareness and prevention programmes have focussed on

the high-risk groups.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5256200.stm

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

The biggest single mistake India continues to make is to concentrate

on so called high risk groups instead of emphasising high risk

behaviours.

The reason rural folk are most affected is that ignorance and access

to safer sexual information is lacking and whenever one tries to do

that effectively one falls foul of Section 377 of the Indian Penal

Code which makes discussion of protective behavours an offence in

most parts of India.

With a few exceptions the health and safety of the sex work industry

is still largely overlooked and poverty makes the choice of sex work

the easiest alternative to starvation and homelessness.

Migration is not a problem so much as the safety of the sex work

industry that services the needs of the transport workers and

migration labour.

Incompetency at the VCT level of service delivery is also highly

relevant.

Geoffrey

E-MAIL: <geoflowd@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum

As a Public health person and development worker having had the opportunity to

work with the rural population for many years, I strongly feel that unless we

address gender and poverty issues in an advocacy mode, we can not bring down the

incidence of HIV AIDS.

In Chilakaluripet in Guntur District, and Vetapalem and Chirala in Prakasam

district, the prevalence of HIV /AIDS is very high especially among the

fisherfolk and rural population. The Women are highly vulnerable because of

their low status in society. Despite the strides made in national development,

the poor and marginalised woman continues to be victimised. The sad stories of

the sexworkers explaining why they are in this profession today could fill

volumes bearing testimony regarding gender oppression and poverty being the

basic causes not just for HIV AIDS but for un ending misery faced by them.

The poor still have no access to information despite the TVs and radios. They

have no bargaining power and have to migrate due to the warped economic policies

which only make the rich, richer. Migration definitely increases their

vulnerability as well as that of the family members left behind.

Even today little girls are sold for high prices by the parents themselves as

some MEN are willing to pay huge amounts for sex with virgins.The decision is

usually by the fathers , and the helpless mothers cry in silence.. Trafficking

goes on in many disguises.

Many sex workers here do not use condoms in reality although they give replies

that interviewers like to receive , during surveys. Little boys continue to be

exploited.

We NGOs have to integrate gender and development analysis and response into our

work and network effectively to bring about change.

In solidarity

Daisy Dharmaraj

Director AIDS Desk /TEST Foundation

Dr. Daisy Dharmaraj M.D.

TEST Foundation

4/332 Pandaripuram

Chilakaluripet,Guntur District 522616

Andhra Pradesh India

Tel +919444014170/9849081033. Fax 00914426250315

email testfoundation@..., testfoundation@...

website www.peopleshealthfoundation.org