********************************************************** SAATHII Electronic Newsletter HIV NEWS FROM INDIA Source: Mid Day, Med India, Down to Earth, The New Nation, The Times of India, E-pao.net and the Hindu. Posted on: 09/02/2008 COMPILED BY: Jacob Boopalan, and L. Ramakrishnan SAATHII Chennai Office. Note: this compilation contains news items about HIV/AIDS published in the Indian media, as well as articles relevant to HIV/AIDS in India published internationally. Articles in this and previous newsletters may also be accessed at http://www.saathii.org/orc/elibrary =============================================================== 1. B-Town fights for gay rights Mid Day, February 05, 2008. http://www.mid-day.com/web/guest/entertainment/bollywood/article?_EXT_5_articleId=963454&_EXT_5_groupId=14 2. Pioneering Move to Control AIDS in India Med India, February 05, 2008. http://www.medindia.net/news/Pioneering-Move-to-Control-AIDS-in-India-32615-1.htm 3. Health schemes caught between government & World Bank Down to Earth.org, February 05, 2008. http://www.downtoearth.org.in/full6.asp?foldername=20080215&filename=news&sec_id=4&sid=1 4. Trafficking of Bangladeshi girls The New Nation, February 07, 2008. http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2008/02/07/news0060.htm 5. Orissa plans monthly pension for HIV-positive persons The Times of India, February 06, 2008. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Orissa_plans_monthly_pension_for_HIV-positive_persons/rssarticleshow/2760682.cms 6. Inconveniences loaded against PLWHAs in Chandel E-pao.net, February 07, 2008. http://e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=7..080208.feb08 7. Key equipment for HIV patients installed in Orissa hospital The Hindu, February 08, 2008. http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200802081550.htm =============================================================== 1. B-Town fights for gay rights Mid Day, February 05, 2008. http://www.mid-day.com/web/guest/entertainment/bollywood/article?_EXT_5_articleId=963454&_EXT_5_groupId=14 Cops crash private ‘gay’ party. Bollywood reacts Homosexuals in India have always been vulnerable to crimes because, on approaching the police, they could find themselves booked under a 141-year-old law. Article 377 of the Indian Penal Code declares oral, anal and other non-procreative sex as being “against the order of nature”. So not only do homosexuals have to face persecution from the world, they have to constantly watch out for the law. This vulnerability came shockingly to the fore when police recently crashed a private party on the ‘tip-off’ that homosexual activities would happen there. Police detained six people on the shocking crime of having stocked snacks, drinks and condoms! In a time when rapes and murders are going unsolved, we hear of a team of police officers planting spies, intercepting traffic and blocking roads to stop a private party! Should laws pertaining to homosexuality be revised? Shocked Bollywood reacts. Celina Jaitly My closest friends are gay and I wouldn’t let anyone hurt them. The laws need drastic change. Homosexuality has existed since the invention of civilisation. Some of our greatest artistes today are gay. At this time of HIV and AIDS, gay rights should be our primary concern. The Britishers who left behind their laws on homosexuality are gone. In Britain, they have gay marriages now. So why are we stuck with their obsolete laws? Also science proves homosexuality is genetic. Riya Sen: Everyone in a democracy should enjoy complete freedom. I think it’s uncivilised to question anyone’s sexuality and the invasion of privacy is a bigger crime than any other. We need to open up our minds against all kinds of prejudice.” Amrita Arora: Gay guys should have the same rights as straight people. I party with them and I find them sensitive and dependable. Why single them out for ridicule? It’s high time people stop being judgemental about how others live their lives. Rohit Roy: I must say this sort of a raid gets us thinking about the priorities of the police. Shouldn’t they crack down on elements dangerous to society, rather than gay guys who just want to live in peace? Manoj Bajpai: The law is archaic and should be revised. All citizens have the right to decide how they live their lives. Lilette Dubey: Laws pertaining to homo- sexuality should be revised. They are archaic and inhuman. An individual’s sexual preference is a completely private matter. It falls under the realm of the law when there’s a public display of obscene behaviour. Any such conduct must be equally punishable for straight and gay persons. If gay behaviour offends publicly, the law has every right to react, otherwise we’re the largest democracy and sexual freedom is our democratic right. Nandana Sen: The laws need a change. No one has the right to invade a peaceful private gathering. It’s against our democratic principles to treat homosexuality as a crime. Kushal Punjabi: I certainly think laws about gay guys need a hard gaze. They were adults having a private party. What was their crime that they needed to be arrested? Tanushree Dutta: This is ridiculous! The laws need desperate change. Or maybe homosexuality is legal and the cops don’t know about it? Imtiaz Ali: Of course the laws need to be revised! An act that is natural to some cannot be illegal in a democracy.” Minissha Lamba: Our country is poised to be a major contender in the world forum. Yet we’ve laws against homosexuality that are myopic and regressive. We need to open our minds and hearts to all communities. Everyone has the right to live in a democracy without prejudice, persecution or prosecution. Vipul Shah: Nobody has the right to decide for others. It’s every individual’s birthright to decide his or her sexual preference. And nobody has the right to interfere. Unless they were behaving obscenely the gay partygoers shouldn’t have been raided. Aryan Vaid: My closest friends are gay and I’m constantly socialising with them. Gay people are an integral part of our society. We need to accept that, and accommodate them. Sexual bias is as bad as any other bias that plagues our society. What happened on Saturday night is draconian and ugly. What right did the cops have to stop a private party? Shefali Shah: I don’t see why there should be laws against individuals based on their sexual preferences. It’s a free world. People are entitled to making their own choices, as long as their choices don’t hurt anyone. Samir Soni: I don’t think the laws should vary according to sexual orientation. What is unlawful should remain so regardless of whether you are gay or straight. Mahesh Bhatt: The state has no business to step into people’s bedrooms and question their sexual preferences. It’s a matter between two consenting adults. Ravi Kissen: I don’t know what the law says about homosexuality. Lekin itna kehna chahunga. Jiyo aur jeene do. Koi paap nahin hai gay hona. It’s a personal choice. If the gay guys break any law, then it’s a different matter. Randeep Hooda: I’ve lots of gay friends, both male and female. And I’m very comfortable with them. As long as they respect my heterosexual space, I’ve no problems with their sexuality. As far as the gay party on Saturday night is concerned, only if the party goers were disrupting the neighbourhood’s peace do they deserve to be pulled up. Alternate sexuality must not be an excuse for extra rights and privileges. Neetu Chandra: I think the gay laws need change. Why should a private party be a problem for anyone? They didn’t mean any harm. The gays have the right to live life to the fullest. The constitution should protect their rights. We should respect every one’s protocol regardless of sexual orientation. =============================================================== 2. Pioneering Move to Control AIDS in India Med India, February 05, 2008. http://www.medindia.net/news/Pioneering-Move-to-Control-AIDS-in-India-32615-1.htm The Maharashtra Health Ministry has unanimously decided to make testing for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) compulsory before marriage. The Public Health Minister, Vimaltai Mundada along with 15 MLAs from all political parties, an advocate and two doctors took the decision at a high profile meeting in a bid to control AIDS and also create awareness of AIDS across the State. Sensitive issues like the social stigma attached to the test and human rights issue were discussed at length in the two-hour meeting of the committee. The urgency to educate the school students about HIV was emphasized by Dr Vimaltai Mundada the state health minister. The Maharashtra Law Graduate Association (MLGA) extends full support to the State Government in drafting and implementing the law. The law will be enforced within the next six months. A joint decision will be taken later as to whether couples will need to produce their medical certificate at the time of the registration of marriage.” =============================================================== 3. Health schemes caught between government & World Bank Down to Earth.org, February 05, 2008. http://www.downtoearth.org.in/full6.asp?foldername=20080215&filename=news&sec_id=4&sid=1 india is set to make another round of changes in procurement norms for health schemes funded by World Bank loans. This follows the bank’s review of Indian projects running on its loans, highlighting corrupt practices in procurement of drugs and other items by the government and drug companies. While such practices are well known—the bank’s own reviews have repeatedly mentioned them—the timing of the latest review has raised eyebrows. Public health researchers doubt the bank’s motive: the review is more about wresting control than removing corruption. There are suggestions that it’s about getting the bank’s favourite firms on board. How this will arrest corruption is not clear. In 2006, Pricewater-houseCoopers had appraised the bank’s review system, finding it inadequate. Re-re…review The review detailed the nexus between government bodies and pharma firms. This leads to corruption at several levels (see at the bottom: News you can’t use). The centre accepted the report and announced a series of changes in procurement norms. The schemes at stake deal with critical health concerns: tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and reproductive and child health. Procurement—of drugs, testing kits, bandages and equipment—is a major part of these programmes. The schemes had recently completed five-year cycles, and were up for renewal. In fact, the bank has already sanctioned the next lot of funds, but hasn’t released them. This is where the questions arise. When the bank knew of corruption all along, why did it continue funding projects for years? The bank reviews projects every six months. What’s the point if they don’t help check corruption? The striking aspect of these reviews—conducted by consultants at the bank’s high rates—is that they are paid for out of loans. Independent reviews show that up to 20 per cent of loans is spent on consultants. Musical chairs In 2005, the bank had released some findings of its review of the first phase of the reproductive and child health project. It had ‘found’ inconsistencies in the purchase of vitamins. The bank suggested funds go directly to states, instead of being routed through the centre. It recommended Tamil Nadu’s methods, which cut corruption and delays: the state was buying drugs directly from suppliers, instead of dealing with procurement agencies. It didn’t take long to realize that all states did not have this capacity. A year ago, the bank came up with an alternative to government agencies buying through their flawed tendering process: the un Office for Project Services (unops) was called in to handle procurement for projects running on the bank’s loans. The assumption being a un agency wouldn’t be corrupt. Around that time, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare realized it was time for another government agency, and decided to call it the Empowered Procurement Wing. A British consultant, Crown Agent, was en-gaged to streamline procurement. All solutions featured foreign agencies. Little attention has gone into a investigation and punishment. If the bank wanted to clean up health schemes, it would have tried to bring the guilty to the book. But it provides nothing for criminal proceedings and is not usable as evidence in a court. Nor does it identify corrupt officials and suppliers. After the bank released the long-term review, health secretary Naresh Dayal has announced a probe. Look who’s talking What really weakens the bank’s position is recent events in its own house. Suzanne Rich-Folsom, director of the bank’s Department of Institutional Integrity that published the review of Indian health schemes, resigned on January 18. There is talk of corruption. Her credibility suffered further because she was also a counsellor to the previous World Bank president, Paul Wolfowitz, who resigned under a cloud. Which is why when the bank talks about corruption in the Indian government, it doesn’t sound convincing. News you can’t use The World Bank’s assessed five projects: one each on HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis; the Food and Drug Capacity Building Project; and the Orissa Health Systems Development Project. These use bank loans of US $569 million. The review showed the following problems were common: * Some bidders were favoured in violation of bank’s bidding norms * Fraudulent bids * Uninstalled and improperly installed equipment; substandard material * Ministry set up panel to oversee bids. It often overruled project’s bid evaluation committee’s decisions. * Bank had okayed contracts in spite of finding shortcomings * lack of financial record-keeping * Fictitious NGOs awarded contracts * Lack of controls to monitor funds * Bribing of health ministry officials =============================================================== 4. Trafficking of Bangladeshi girls The New Nation, February 07, 2008. http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2008/02/07/news0060.htm There are one-fifth population in the world lived in South Asian region. Poverty is one of the main problem in this region. Most of them earn in here less than a dollar a day. Several studies have shown that girl children and women bear a disproportionately large burden of the deprivation and exploitation resulting from such poverty related issues. The number of women living in poverty and the number of women headed households living below the poverty-line have increased over the last decade, impacting significantly on the wellbeing and human security of children, often leading to situations of trafficking. Day by day South Asia is increasing women and girls being trafficked into the sex trade; the average age of girls trafficked from Bangladesh and Nepal into India has fallen over the past decade from 10-15 years to 16-18 years. Trafficking is by and large a gendered phenomenon. The majority of trafficking in India, happens for the purpose of commercial sex work, and over 60 percent of those trafficked into sex work are adolescent girls in the age-group of 12-16 years. Women and girls trafficked to India are at high risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, It is estimated that half of the girls in Mumbai brothels who are under the age of 18 years have been infected with HIV. Although without being trafficking, every day many people cross border movement take place both officially and also illegally. Due to reason of that great chance to spread out HIV/AIDS in Bangladesh. Bangladeshi girls and women are trafficked to India in maximum number from these districts of Bangladesh such as Kushtia, Jessore, Rajshahi and even from other district. India shares 4,222 kilometres of border with 28 districts of Bangladesh, most of it open with rivers running across. So, Bangladeshi trafficking groups have been able to build up powerful bases in the border districts of India in West Bengal and Assam, to the north and west, and these are now favorite transit points of trafficked women. It is not just the problem of girls, little boys and women trafficking to India even they are trafficked with in Bangladesh form the villages to the city area promising them a better life and indulging them in different activates. These little boys and girls are involved in home bounded labour, child labor, pick pocketing, illegal drug selling, criminal activities, Thieving, commercial sexual exploitation or unfair jobs etc. India is the major market of trafficking as people from most of the countries are trafficked. Bangladesh is a big market of these trafficked victims. Even it is known as the sex tourist area as lots of European, Middle-East and American come to India as sex tourist. India has thousands of children in its sex-trade centers. Commercial sex workers (CSWs) - as a group - are an important driver of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. As has been shown in very recent research involving repatriated CSWs in Nepal, many of the CSWs who have been trafficked are at a significantly higher risk than "average" women of contracting HIV. A survey conducted by Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation at Goalondo Brothel in Rajbari district in Bangladesh, this study points out that almost 53% of sex workers enter the profession before the age of 20 years, and 30% enter between 20 to 25 years of age, and some of them have been entangled through instigation of traffickers. As the pandemic spreads wider, the link between trafficking and HIV is emerging stronger than ever before. With South Asia recording the fastest growing rates of new HIV infections, the nexus of poverty, HIV, and the trafficking of girls within and across borders is creating ever-widening circles of insecurity that disproportionately threaten the lives of girls and further impoverish the poor through sickness, loss of livelihood and rejection by society. The epidemic is severely undermining human security and posing serious threats to the health and socioeconomic sector and overall development of the region. =============================================================== 5. Orissa plans monthly pension for HIV-positive persons The Times of India, February 06, 2008. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Orissa_plans_monthly_pension_for_HIV-positive_persons/rssarticleshow/2760682.cms BERHAMPUR: In a significant move, the Orissa government has decided to provide monthly pension to the HIV-positive persons under the state-sponsored 'Madhu Babu Pension Yojana' from this month, official sources said. Orissa is perhaps the first state in the country to provide such monthly benefit to the HIV-positive persons. Altogether 6,132 HIV-positive persons in the state, irrespective of their age and earning condition, would benefit under the scheme in the first phase. The maximum beneficiaries would be from Drom Ganjam district where the number of the affected persons was also highest in the state. Parameswar Swain, project director of the Orissa State AIDS Control Society, said under the scheme, every HIV-positive person detected would get Rs 200 per month. The government has also decided to provide widow pension to the wife of the HIV-positive persons after his death, he said. =============================================================== 6. Inconveniences loaded against PLWHAs in Chandel E-pao.net, February 07, 2008. http://e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=7..080208.feb08 Imphal, February 07: Although National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) had issued an order for opening up of an Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) Centre in Chandel District Hospital way back in June 2007, people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) in the district are being exposed to lot of inconveniences in getting ART treatment as the proposed centre is yet to materialise. In the absence of an ART Centre in the district, patients have to come down to RIMS or JN Hospital at Imphal for getting the required Anti-Retroviral drugs. However, patients living in far flung areas of the district have to spend over four days at the minimum to come and get the treatment due to poor transport and communication facilities. Over and above this difficulty, the rate of drug resistance among the patients who are already under ART treatment has been on the rise as they could not undergo regular health check and maintain drug adherence. According to the Epidemiological Report furnished by MACS, in Chandel district out of the blood samples of 8286 people screened till October 2007, 1067 of them have been confirmed HIV positive. At present, 114 patients including 45 men, 48 women, 10 boys and one girl are getting ART treatment from the ART Centre at JN Hospital. Talking to The Sangai Express in connection with delayed in opening up of an ART Centre in the district, secretary of Chandel Network of Positive People KT Shanghring said it has caused lot of difficulties to those patients who are already under ART treatment. Due to poor communication and transport facilities as well as financial constraints, many of the HIV patients in the district could not go to Imphal to get the ART drugs on regular basis, thus affecting in their proper treatment. Even if they are on ART treatment, they could not undertake health check-up which is compulsory after every 6 months and cases of drug resistance among them has been on the rise, Shanghring expressed concerned. The problem is all the more acute for those patients living in far flung villages of the district like Lamphoucharu, Phiran Khullen, Phunchung, Anal Khullen, Tengnoupal, Sajik Tampak, etc, she said. She explained that in order to get the ART drug, patients from far flung villages have to first of all come till Chandel district headquarters where they have to hold the night and then catch the next morning bus to reach Imphal. While returning from Imphal, they have to spend one night at Chandel again before proceeding home. In the light of the difficulties being faced by the patients, she called upon the Government and the authorities of MACS to take up necessary measures for setting up an ART Centre at Chandel District Hospital at the earliest possible. When contacted in this regard, ART in-charge of MACS Dr Premchand disclosed that the main reason for not opening up of an ART centre at Chandel is the non-receipt of the approval of NACO for setting up the centre. Acting on the order issued by NACO in June 2007, MACS had imparted necessary training to the nodal officer and other counsellors who would be required for operation of the proposed ART centre and their names submitted to NACO. However, the final approval of the NACO based on its financial guideline for setting up the centre is yet to be received. After the receiving the approval of NACO, a four-day training has to be conducted for the ART team comprising two physicians, one gynaecologist, two paediatrics, one microbiologist and one dermatologist who would be actually running the centre when it is materialised, the MACS officer informed. =============================================================== 7. Key equipment for HIV patients installed in Orissa hospital The Hindu, February 08, 2008. http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200802081550.htm Berhampur: In a positive news for thousands of HIV positive people in Orissa, a CD-4 count machine, the most essential device to count the CD-4 level of a person, was installed at a hospital here. This means the patients would not have to wait for long to test their CD-4 count in order to get treatment at Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) Centre here henceforth. Donated by the Clinton Foundation to the National Aids Control Organization (NACO), the machine was installed at the the microbiology department of the MKCG Medical College Hospital here yesterday. "The machine, first of its kind in the state, is a real blessings for the HIV positive persons," Chief Minister Naveen Patnbaik said after inaugurating it. The state had identified as many as 8,200 people carrying HIV positive virus while 912 people were identified as AIDS patients by December 2007, said Orissa State AIDS Control Society project director Parameswar Swain. Although the ART Centre was operational at the hospital since one year, patients could not get proper doses due to lack of CD-4 count mechanism. The blood sample collected from patient was being sent to Kolkata, Hyderabad and Mumbai in order to access the cd-4 count of a patient before prescribing him/her the proper doses. According to procedure, the person whose CD-4 count recorded below 200, should get ART drugs. In a normal human being, the cd-4 count remained between 800 to 1,200. With opening of the CD-4 facility, the AIDS patients in Orissa could be given drugs at appropriate time, Swain said. He said the government was planning to install two more CD-4 machines at SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack and VSS Medical College Hospital in Sambalpur. =============================================================== Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in the above articles are those of the respective newspapers, not those of SAATHII.