********************************************************** SAATHII Electronic Newsletter HIV NEWS FROM INDIA SOURCE: www.sify.com, www.ndtv.com, www.zeenews.com, The Indian Express, The Hindustan Times, The Hindu, Kangla Online, The Times of India, www.siasat.com, www.infochangeindia.org. Posted on: 04/10/2007 COMPILED BY: Randhir Kumar, B. Vilasini, 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. AIDS funds become militants' cash cow (New Delhi) www.ndtv.com, September 5, 2007. http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070025128 2. Doctors for vulnerable groups to undergo AIDS test (New Delhi) www.zeenews.com, September 5, 2007. http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=392471&sid=NAT&sname=&news=Doctors%20for%20vulnerable%20groups%20to%20undergo%20AIDS%20test 3. 'Increase in condom use, decline in HIV incidence' (Pune) The Indian Express, September 5, 2007. http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=254700 4. Together in battle against HIV/AIDS (India) Hindustan Times, September 6, 2007. http://www.hindustantimes.com/Redir.aspx?ID=28aad60f-bd7d-46aa-b92c-6ee48ec97f14 5. Anti-retroviral therapy centre sanctioned for Krishnagiri district (Krishnagiri) The Hindu, September 7, 2007. http://www.hindu.com/2007/09/07/stories/2007090750090100.htm 6. Wild and malicious charges, says MSACS (Imphal) kangla Online, September 7, 2007. http://www.kanglaonline.com/index.php?template=headline&newsid=39190&typeid=1 7. Barbers trained on AIDS awareness(Patna) The Times of India, September 7, 2007. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Patna/Barbers_trained_on_AIDS_awareness/articleshow/2345708.cms 8. 80% students want sex education: Survey (Thiruvanathapuram) The Times of India, September 9, 2007. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Thirupuram/80_students_want_sex_education_Survey/articleshow/2350290.cms 9. 'More HIV cases than reported' (Vijayawada) www.siasat.com, September 9, 2007. http://www.siasat.com/english/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=205421&Itemid=63&cattitle=Andhra%20Pradesh 10. ICAAP round up (India) www.infochangeindia.org, September 10, 2007. http://www.infochangeindia.org/analysis225.jsp =============================================================== 1. AIDS funds become militants' cash cow (New Delhi) www.ndtv.com, September 5, 2007. http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070025128 New Delhi: AIDS funds become militants' cash cow Last week an unnamed militant group in Manipur issued threats to the Manipur AIDS Control Society (MACS) saying that the organisation will come to serious harm if it releases any funds to NGOs working with HIV+ patients. They charged the NGOs of misusing the funds. To make sure the message was heard loud and clear the militants delivered a grenade to director T R Kom's house. ''Since there is some external pressure on us, we cannot release the funds. The external forces tell us that you should not release the funds. And if you do so without our permission, without our consent, then you'll be in trouble,'' said T R Kom, Director, Manipur AIDS Control Society. This is not the first threat. In July, armed militants had opened fire outside the house of the previous director to scare him as a result he resigned. Real reason But when AIDS activists are asked if the militant's claim of AIDS funds being misused is true then a new story emerges. Given the dangers, no one is willing to give any answers on camera. But off camera they tell the real reason. At present there are about 50 NGOs working under Manipur AIDS Control Society and Manipur has the highest percentage of HIV+ people in the country. So their work is to reach out to the state's 27,000 patients most of them dependent on government funds for treatment. The plight of Manipur is so big in the map of AIDS activism that the state receives huge funds from the world over, including grants from the Bill Gates Foundation. And this is where the militants come in. They have realised that there is huge money in AIDS and started demanding big haftas or bribes without which they don't let NGOs do any groundwork. Pressure tactic Now some militant groups want more money. So they are threatening the Manipur AIDS Control Society as a pressure tactic. ''You know these are life and death problems. What they actually want right now is to increase their percentage from the things they have already received from the MACS,'' said an NGO worker. Just last month the militants had shut down all drug supplies in the state because the pharma traders and shopkeepers had refused to pay up Rs 1 crore extortion money. And Manipur had slipped into a medical emergency. Only recently the supplies resumed after insiders say money was finally paid up. Threats like these have become so common that this recent one to the AIDS control Society only meets with a response of resignation. =============================================================== 2. Doctors for vulnerable groups to undergo AIDS test (New Delhi) www.zeenews.com, September 5, 2007. http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=392471&sid=NAT&sname=&news=Doctors%20for%20vulnerable%20groups%20to%20undergo%20AIDS%20test New Delhi: Doctors for vulnerable groups to undergo AIDS test Stepping up efforts to contain the spread of HIV-AIDS, doctors will now "strongly suggest" to highly vulnerable groups that they undergo tests for the disease. Taking such tests is currently a voluntary matter. The new move is part of a government policy to prevent the spread of the disease that has affected between 2.5 million and 3.1 million people across the country. "According to the new policy, doctors will strongly suggest to people, especially in five specific categories, to go for testing and counselling," said A K Khera, joint director in the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO). Under the "Provider Initiative Testing and Counselling" scheme, doctors or health workers will suggest to persons that they should go for testing if they are pregnant, have HIV-like symptoms, suffer from sexually transmitted diseases (STD) or tuberculosis or are sex workers. This is a policy that has been recommended and promoted by the WHO and UNAIDS. "It is not mandatory. It depends on the person finally whether he wants to go for HIV testing," Khera told. "This is positive prevention. This is one sure way of containing the epidemic. The persons will get to know their status immediately so that they could be started on drugs (if they have HIV). "Now, people will be guided by the doctor to go for the test. They will realise the importance of knowing their HIV- positive status. As soon as they go on drugs, their chances of longevity increases," Khera said. =============================================================== 3. 'Increase in condom use, decline in HIV incidence' (Pune) The Indian Express, September 5, 2007. http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=254700 Pune: 'Increase in condom use, decline in HIV incidence' The good news is that now fewer cases of genital ulcer diseases and increase in condom use over time has led to a sharp decline in the HIV incidence among patients attending Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) clinics in Pune. National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) scientists have for the first time provided direct evidence of how a significant decline in HIV infection rates among prostitutes and men with STIs has been achieved. National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) scientists have in their study — published in the August issue of the US-based Journal of AIDS — said that this was the first direct evidence of a decline in HIV incidence rates in prostitutes and male patients with STIs over time in the country. The finding of declining HIV rates among high-risk men and FSWs is not just good news for Pune but important. Because it indicates that significant decline in infection rates can be achieved in high-risk individuals in the country, said Dr S M Mehendale, deputy director (senior grade) of NARI and principal investigator of the study. Mehendale told Newsline the aim was to study how many people who were negative at the beginning of the study become HIV positive (this is called 'seroconversion' or a new case of HIV infection. Incidence it is calculated by taking the number of people who become positive during the follow-up study). According to Mehendale, the HIV incidence rates were analysed among men, women and prostitutes attending STI clinics in Pune over 10 years. The relative risk of HIV infection decreased significantly by approximately 80 per cent among male patients with STIs and by 70 per cent among prostitutes during the 10-year study period. "Interventions like the extensive counselling employed at our site for risk reduction in behaviour, condom promotion and aggressive management of sexually transmitted diseases have led to this decline," the NARI scientist says. Between 1993 and 2002, 14,147 patients attending the STI clinics were screened forHIV, of whom 3,185 (22.5 per cent) were HIV-infected. A total of 3,268 HIV-uninfected individuals participated in the study, and the incidence estimations were done in the three study cohorts with different risk behaviors. In all, 274 seroconversions (new HIV infections) were identified over a period of 10 years. However, an area of concern was the lack of change in the risk of HIV infection among the women. "There is a need for additional targeted HIV prevention interventions," said Mehendale. To identify appropriate strategies for prevention and control under the National AIDS Control and Prevention (NACP-III) programme, it was important to confirm whether decline in HIV seroprevalence also reflected actual declines in HIV transmission rates. Till date, there have been no direct estimates of HIV transmission (HIV incidence) over time from any population in India, Mehendale said. To analyse trends in HIV transmission rates over time, HIV incidence was calculated for the three risk groups by calendar year. =============================================================== 4. Together in battle against HIV/AIDS (India) Hindustan Times, September 6,2007. http://www.hindustantimes.com/Redir.aspx?ID=28aad60f-bd7d-46aa-b92c-6ee48ec97f14 India: Together in battle against HIV/AIDS The five largest trade unions in the country have come together to rouse workers, not against the violation of labour laws but against a common and deadly enemy — the HIV virus. For the first time, the unions cutting across party lines have signed a joint statement with promises that they would do their bit to spread awareness about the virus and making workplaces safer. The membership of the five unions runs into several lakhs covering nearly all work sectors. The statement, released in the form of a booklet, approves the guidelines given in the ILO Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS, in which the unions said that they recognised HIV/AIDS as a workplace issue. There is an estimated 2.5 to 3.1 million people in India who are living with HIV/AIDS and nearly 90 per cent of the reported HIV infections in India are in the 15-49 years age group. "HIV/AIDS is a workplace issue, not only because it affects the workforce, but also because the workplace can play a vital role in limiting the spread and effects of the epidemic," the unions said. On the question as to how trade unions can intervene in a health issue, the statement said: "Trade unions are key actors at the workplace and well placed to work in arresting the spread of HIV/AIDS in collaboration with employers. Since they share the same background as the people they represent, their messages are likely to be more accepted." The policy, they said, should be designed to prevent the spread of the infection and protect all workers from discrimination related to HIV/AIDS. The Unions also promised to provide information on HIV/AIDS in the workplace and to initiate prevention interventions to workers in the unorganised sector. =============================================================== 5. Anti-retroviral therapy centre sanctioned for Krishnagiri district (Krishnagiri) The Hindu, September 7, 2007. http://www.hindu.com/2007/09/07/stories/2007090750090100.htm Krishnagiri: Anti-retroviral therapy centre sanctioned for Krishnagiri district There is a ray of hope for thousands of HIV/AIDS patients in Krishnagiri district.They soon can avail of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) treatment in the Krishnagiri Government Hospital. National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) has sanctioned the district a centre for the treatment following the State Government recommendation. The centre will start functioning from September, according to sources in the district administration. Rooms "The district administration has allotted the centre three rooms in the Government Hospital. The centre will have a doctor, a staff nurse and lab technicians and will provide medicines to the affected persons. People living with HIV and AIDS in every block will be treated and those with a CD 4 count below 200 will receive anti-retroviral therapy. A laboratory will also function at the General Hospital with capacity to monitor anti-retroviral combination therapy with adequate stock of ARV drugs," District Collector Santhosh Babu told The Hindu. Referral cases Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre (ICTC) at the General Hospital got around 25 referral cases for HIV testing of which about five tested positive, said the district project manager of Tamil Nadu AIDS Control Society G. Anand. ICTC screened about 12,095 persons in the last seven months of which about 533 persons, including 290 women, tested positive. Similarly, about 12,835 antenatal mothers were screened in the centre of which about 74 tested positive, Mr. Anand added. The district administration would add adequate number of beds and improve infrastructure in the General Hospital. Priority is given to HIV patients and their rehabilitation by availing of various government schemes. Massive awareness programmes and comprehensive blood donation camps would be held in villages, Mr. Babu said. =============================================================== 6. Wild and malicious charges, says MSACS (Imphal) Kangla Online, September 7, 2007. http://www.kanglaonline.com/index.php?template=headline&newsid=39190&typeid=1 Imphal: Wild and malicious charges, says MSACS After maintaining a stoic silence on the recent spate of allegations raised by different NGOs on Manipur State AIDS Control Society, the project director Dr TR Kom responded. Addressing a press conference today at his office chamber, Dr TR Kom made the stand of MSACS clear. He said that the allegation that MSACS deduct 10-15% from the NGOs fund is wrong and baseless. The project director said, "We issued account payee cheques in the name of the NGOs. How can we deduct from the cheques? It is a baseless allegation." He said that the delay in releasing fund had happened earlier too and as against the allegations raised by the NGOs, the delay is for just three months and not five. Deputy Director Targeted Intervention Dr Manikanta said that moreover the delay was due to the late submission of statement of expenditure and utilization certificates by the NGOs. Dr Kom said that another reason for the delay was the preparation of the evaluation report. He said that MSACS does not have the right to comment on the evaluation report saying that it can be disclosed only after it comes back from NACO. Dr Kom further said that there is no shortage of ARV drugs at the ART centres and moreover new consignments arrived today. Saying that ARV drugs are sent directly to the ART centres by NACO and not MSACS, Dr Kom said, "MSACS gets only an official copy. We look after crises of shortage. That's where our involvement ends." The project director said that there is no shortage of OIs (Opportunistic Infections) medicines. Dr Manikanta said, "NGOs are to give referral services and not provide OIs medicines. These medicines are available at ART centres or CHC where there are qualified doctors. Since the prescription of medicines required a qualified doctor, DIC cannot keep OIs medicines without doctors." Informing the new NACO operational guidelines, Dr Premchand, deputy director ART, said that OIs drugs can be procured only by those institutions where ART centres are located, by NACO and by the SACS. He further added that when a PLHA develops OI, it is an indicator that the CD4 count is low and the person should be referred to an ART centre immediately instead of resorting to unqualified medication. Responding to queries on the drug substitution therapy, Dr Manikanta said that DSsssT is not part of the NACO programme. Saying that the inclusion of DST in NACP III will be decided by NACO based on the national assessment reports done by TRG (Technical Research Groups) and the three implementing agencies of DFID, he said, "It is beyond the purview of MSACS to say whether it will be continued or not." =============================================================== 7. Barbers trained on AIDS awareness (Patna) The Times of India, September 7, 2007. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Patna/Barbers_trained_on_AIDS_awareness/articleshow/2345708.cms Patna: Barbers trained on AIDS awareness About 50 barbers of the city were informed about the HIV/AIDS, its mode of transmission and prevention, at a training session organised by Francoise-Xavier Bagnoud, India Suraksha Branch, Bihar. "Transmission of HIV/AIDS through an infected razor or blade is very common, but it can be decreased manifold if the razor is disinfected after every use, said the Regional AIDS Treatment and Networking in India (RATNEI) medical director Dr Diwakar Tejaswi while speaking to the barbers. He asked the barbers to disinfect the razor or blade by soaking them in sodium hypochlorite solution for about 30 minutes. This solution is very cheap and is easily available at all the medical stores, he added. During the discussion, it was found that all types of people including drug addicts visited their shop and were motivated to talk to their customers about HIV/AIDS. "There are about 700 barber shops in the city from whom we have picked up a handful from each locality for training, who in turn, will spread the message in their locality, said SXB, Bihar, state coordinator Pankaj Kumar Sinha. SXB, a Switzerland based NGO, has its branches in 18 countries, and mainly works for AIDS orphans. "Their workplace is like a communication hub. Therefore, we are targeting them for our campaign. Apart from spreading awareness, the barbers will also counsel the people to get themselves tested for HIV/AIDS and distribute books on HIV and condoms," said Sinha. =============================================================== 8. 80% students want sex education: Survey (Thiruvanathapuram) The Times of India, September 9, 2007. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Thirupuram/80_students_want_sex_education_Survey/articleshow/2350290.cms Thiruvanathapuram: 80% students want sex education: Survey 80 per cent of students welcome sex education in schools as they believe it would help them interact better with opposite sex, a survey conducted among students here have shown. About 58 per cent prefer co-education in sex education classes and 33 per cent underwent sex education from school, said the study conducted among 452 students from four selected schools by ' Thrani' , the counselling centre of Foundation for Integrated Research For Mental Health. The outcome could be generalised for whole of the state as questions asked were of common pattern concerned with thinking of students, V Mukunda Das, Dean, Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management- Kerala, said while releasing the study. Stating that results were disturbing in many aspects, Das said most of the children were victims of sexual abuse in one form or the other and 88 per cent believe sex education would protect them from sexual abuse. Nearly 31 per cent of the survey participants had been sexually abused at some point of time, Das said adding "this is a pointer towards a critical social reality". Majority of the students lacked proper knowledge about sexually transmitted disease,HIV AIDS, he said. =============================================================== 9. 'More HIV cases than reported' (Vijayawada) www.siasat.com, September 9, 2007. http://www.siasat.com/english/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=205421&Itemid=63&cattitle=Andhra%20Pradesh Vijayawada: 'More HIV cases than reported' The reporting system put in place by the government to know the number of cases of HIV and AIDS in the country is not foolproof, and the actual number of HIV cases is likely to be double the number that the government is citing. According to Madhavan P.N. Nair, a professor of immunology and associate dean of bio-medical research at the College of Medicine of the Florida International University in the US. Dr. Nair, who has been working on issues relating to HIV/AIDS for more than two decades, visited the city on Friday to address a meeting organised by the Rotary Club of Vijayawada on 'Social support to HIV patients: India Vs USA'. Dr. Nair pointed out that the common strain of HIV found among those infected in India was clade C, which was much less virulent than clade B found among those infected in the US. "As it is less virulent than clade B, clade C HIV will have a longer incubation period before it becomes a full blown AIDS disease. It is this longer time that makes people not realise about the magnitude of the problem," Dr. Nair explained. The professor also felt that the problem of use of drugs like cocaine and marijuana was not being fully appreciated in the country, and those using these drugs, along with alcoholics, would have much less immunity and would get affected by AIDS earlier than others. Referring to incidents of social boycott of persons affected by HIV and AIDS, Dr. Nair regretted that HIV continued to be treated in the country more as a "stigma" than as a simple virus like any other virus, which could be controlled by effective medication. =============================================================== 10. ICAAP round up (India) www.infochangeindia.org, September 10, 2007. http://www.infochangeindia.org/analysis225.jsp India: ICAAP round up The theme of the recent 8th ICAAP (International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific) held in Colombo (19- 23 August, 2007) was "Waves of Change, Waves of Hope." The theme was carried through the plenary sessions and various symposiums summing up what has been learnt in the last two years since the last ICAAP in Kobe while emphasising steps to be taken to tackle the problem of HIV/AIDS in the Asia Pacific (AP). True, the latest findings show that the number of people affected by HIV in the region, 5. 4 million, has been lower than the previous estimated figure of 8.3 million but it is dangerous to be complacent about it, warned experts. "Nearly 1 million infections have occurred in the last two years, 50 per cent of which are among young people who are our most productive asset. In addition, 640,000 people died despite the efforts of scaling up treatment of services by countries in the region," said J V R Prasada Rao, regional director, UNAIDS, AP, at the opening plenary session. There have also been rising number of new infections in China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan, he said. Sounding a note of caution, Rao regretted that condom promotion has not taken off upto the expectation in the region. He also expressed frustration over a retrogressive step like the debate over introduction of sex education in India's schools and wondered, "Why isn't the civil society responding with more vigour on this issue?" However, there has been some good news too. Thailand and Cambodia are good examples of steadying the infection rate; the Philippines and Sri Lanka have not shown any sharp increase in the epidemic. But the "most exciting news " has been from India, the highest prevalence country in Asia. The latest estimate announced by NACO (National AIDS Control Organisation) at 2.47 million is almost half of the previous estimate of 5.7 million . There have been minor victories too. In June 2006, countries across the region called for Universal Access to prevention and treatment for all those who need it by 2010. In this resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly emphasising planning from the grassroots saw the Asia Pacific region taking the lead. Nine countries have launched National Strategic Plans (NSP) to achieve this target and are trying to identify resources for funding them. Other countries are in the process of doing so. Political leaders of many countries have also displayed more sustained commitment to tackle the epidemic which can create havoc all across the socio-economic structure. Another issue widely discussed at various forums was the infection of married women in the region due to unsafe sexual behaviour of their spouses. This also adds to societal pressure and gender violence in as a rippling effect. A UNDP study in South Asia shows that as much as 40 per cent of women are coerced into leaving their homes by in-laws after the death of their husbands and 80 per cent of these women who are infected by their husbands are denied property rights. Annmaree O'Keeffe, AusAID, speaking in the opening session on "Leadership and Partnerships: Invigorating our Response" pointed out that gender is often ignored in HIV/AIDS prevention programmes. This is " just a symptom that shows how women are treated by society. Unless gender equality is ensured , the situation can only get worse," she said. Sophia Kisting , International Labour Organisation, suggested using the workplace, where women also form a large chunk, for dissemination information and discussion on AIDS. In Geneva this June, at the ILO/AIDS conference, she said, representatives of SAARC countries came forward to discuss the issue, "which is a very encouraging sign." On the second day of the plenary, speaking on Mother-to- Child Transmission (MTCT), a problem that is a major concern of countries like India, Dr James McIntyre, regretted that the success story of Thailand is not evident in other countries of the region. " Every day, an estimated 100 children get infected by HIV in the Asia Pacific region," he pointed out. At the moment, 2 to 3 million children are living with AIDS all over the world, majority of whom are in the developing world and majority cases (90 per cent) are due by MTCT. (In India, Health Secretary Naresh Dayal announced recently that "There may be 70,000 children infected with HIV in India with nearly 21,000 new infections occurring every year.") However, the good news is that, advances made in recent years show that MTCT can be controlled and children treated successfully even in poor countries. For this, McIntyre suggested a four-pronged strategy among which access to and continued treatment of the mother is crucial. A less known factor in the fight against AIDS is the role of infrastructure. In its presentation the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said that infrastructure projects can impact the control and spread of the disease. Infrastructure development should not be looked in isolation ; areas like health, environment etc. are closely linked to it too. Ursula Schaefer-Preuss of ADB pointed out the Injecting Drug Users (IDU) is a critical component in HIV infection in Asia and now new connection between large road projects and IDU is emerging . For example, four recent case studies from ADB-supported highway projects in China, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam drew attention to this problem though much more research is needed to bring out the extent of the linkage. With India's projected need for US$350 billion to build infrastructure in the transport sector, perhaps this point deserves more attention. Meanwhile, international agencies are acknowledging the linkages between infrastructure projects and HIV/AIDS and a "Joint Initiative" has been initiated by bringing together some of these agencies. Stigma and discrimination against HIV positive people was widely discussed at various sessions. Since the Asia Pacific region has a broadly similar social pattern, especially in rural areas, the 'fear' and ignorance about the disease are common problems despite widespread awareness campaigns. The campaigns have either not reached the wider populace or , the material have not been imaginatively designed to reach the target audience. An interesting observation was made by well-known AIDS activist from South Africa, Supreme Court judge Edwin Cameron ("Future Agenda for HIV activists") who observed that specific laws in some Asian countries, deprive people of access to AIDS treatment, access to education and access to HIV prevention. "Laws such as consensual sex between adult men in private, are irrational, unjust and they foster discrimination," he said. Anand Grover of Lawyers' Collective, India, agreed: "Our laws are not adequate in terms of protection…if we have to battle this disease it is going to be through empowerment. If you have laws that don't protect the rights of people who are affected or infected, then AIDS will remain a concentrated epidemic." Other major issues like trafficking, young people and communication, migration, MSM (men having sex with men)/LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) , availability of Anti Retroviral Drug , religious beliefs, blood safety, all of which have relevance to HIV/AIDS were focused in different platforms and augmented through poster presentations mainly by NGOs. A significant development announced at the ICAAP was that by the end of 2007, an independent group of experts will make specific recommendations to Asia policy makers, government agencies, civil society and international organisations about how to address the regional epidemic more effectively. The Commission on AIDS, chaired by Chakravarthi Rangarajan, among the chief economic advisers to India's Prime Minister, said it is now compiling a set of specific guidelines relating to national HIV prevention, treatment, care and impact mitigation as well as other areas closely related to them, like availability of essential financial resources and human rights issues. Though national governments have shown commitment, they must be armed with expert- reviewed action plans , Dr Rangarajan observed. For example, in countries like India "where the resource requirements to meet health care and prevention needs will be so large that some decision will need to be taken. We can provide some guidance regarding that." It will be interesting to see how the Colombo platform for discussions on the problems relevant to Asia Pacific, and the sharing of lessons learnt, will provide scope for taking forward efforts to curb the onslaught of HIV/AIDS and be available for scrutiny during the next ICAAP (2009) in Bali. =============================================================== Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in the above articles are those of the respective newspapers, not those of SAATHII.