HIV/AIDS and 11th five year plan (2007- 2012)

[Guest guest]

HIV/AIDS and 11th five year plan (2007- 2012).

Joe (Moderator AIDS INDIA e FORUM)

The planning commission of the Government of India has presented

it's approach paper to 11th five year plan 2007-2012 as a draft for

circulation and comments are being invited on this paper. Towards

faster and more inclusive growth: An approach to the 11th five year

plan 2007-2012.

According to the approach paper, to improve the primary health care

system, the 11th Five-Year Plan will initially lay emphasis on

integrated district health plans and later on block-specific health

schedules. These will ensure the involvement of all health-related

sectors and emphasise partnership with non-governmental

organisations.

However, This 92 page document is not giving any indication of the

planning commissions understanding about the magnitude of the

economic and political challenges of HIV/AIDS to the nation. Just

one sentence is what all it offers " The Plan will take care of the

special needs of people living with AIDS, in particular given the

feminine face of HIV, the women. This is recognized and will be

given highest priority " Even though, planning commission's

acknowledgement about the special needs of the women who are living

with HIV/AIDS, it does not mention about the needs for massive

treatment scaling up necessary to cope with the HIV treatment in

India

The approach paper is also silent abut the much needed efforts to

mainstreaming of HIV response into the rural health mission, as

HIV/AIDS is rapidly becoming a rural health issue as well.

According to the approach paper, the 10th Plan aimed at providing

essential primary health care, particularly to underprivileged and

underserved people. However, progress towards these objectives has

been slow and the 10th Plan targets on MMR and IMR have been missed.

Rural health care in most States is marked by absenteeism of medical

staff, low skill levels, shortage of medicines, inadequate

monitoring and callous attitudes.

The Indian AIDS NGOs have an opportunity to develop a cohesive

response to the planning commissions approach paper. However, lack

of a national NGO structure would reduce their capacity to voice

their opinion on such important matters. It is appropriate and

necessary for the Indian AIDS NGOs to develop a response to the

planning commissions approach paper. Hope, some of the leading AIDS

NGOs in India may take the leadership to formulate their views and

seek an appointment with the Commission to appraise the about the

need for a concerted response from the Planning commission.

The Planning Commission of the Government of India, presented its

approach paper, " Towards Faster and More Inclusive Growth: An

approach to the Eleventh Five Year Plan, 2007-2012 " in Assamee,

Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi

Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telgu and Urdu

on it's web page

Comments to be send to approach-plan@...

http://planningcommission.nic.in/plans/planrel/apppap11.htm