Since the last five years the estimated figure of HIV/AIDS patients in India has remained stagnant at 5.2 million. But, is it a correct estimate? How credible are the figures? In a move to improve HIV reporting, a USAID funded organization has launched an initiative -- Local Voices, which aims to inform journalists on key issues pertaining to the dreaded disease.

Internews Network, which works with journalists from about 50 countries, organized a meeting in Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu on February 20 that was attended by media persons and non-governmental organisations.

During the course of discussion, media persons accused NGOs with living of HIV patients and not doing any concrete work. The NGOs retaliated, stating that HIV awareness would have been nil had they not been around.

The high cost of Anti-Retroviral Therapy drugs was among the problems discussed during the meeting. While the first line cost a patient Rs 1500 a month, the second line was priced at Rs 10,000 a month. Both journalists and NGOs asked the government to stop setting numerical targets and instead concentrate on quality awareness programs covering a particular area.

Compulsory testing was supported by all those who were present. Most wanted the results to be kept secret. Some opined that there was a need to publish the results. The participants lamented that the gravity of the situation was not yet known.

The level of penetration of the disease is not known. There is lot of talk but no action.

The cops are susceptible as they get free sex from prostitutes. There is no good system in hand to detect, educate or prevent.

Condoms are not 100 per cent safe and the government ads promoting their use are misleading people to think that they are totally safe, which is not true. Self control in matters of sex is more important.

All participants felt the more openly we talked about HIV, the better it was for all concerned.

The Central government proposes to pump in Rs 11, 585 crore on HIV awareness program in the next five years. While journalists feel that NGOs will finish off the amount allocated to them without results, NGOs say they are willing to show their work to the Press.

The 3rd National AIDS program implementation plan for 2007 to 2012 is ready. The primary goal of this is to halt and reverse the epidemic in India.

There are four stages in this plan

1.      Prevention of new infections in high risk groups and the general population through saturation of coverage of high risk groups with targeted intervention and scaled up intervention in the general population.

2.      Providing care, support and treatment to a larger number of people living with the virus.

3.      Strengthening the infrastructure, systems and human resources at the district, state and national level.

4.      Strengthening a nation wide strategic information management system.

Focus will be on providing universal access to first line ARV drugs. Treatment will also include treatment of opportunistic diseases like TB. People living with HIV will have networks to support them in all the 611 districts in the country.

The districts have been categorized into 4 categories.

�        Category A -- 163 districts -- High prevalence

�        Category B -- 59 districts -- Concentrated epidemic

�        Category C -- 278 districts -- Increased presence of vulnerable population

�        Category D -- 111 districts -- Low/unknown vulnerability

Meanwhile, the blame game continues. Tirunelveli district, which has the highest concentration of HIV-afflicted people, blames the men who return from Mumbai; Namakkal blames lorry drivers; others blame gays and yet others blame drug addicts.  

No matter whoever we choose to blame, the reality is that we are in the midst of an epidemic and if we do not mend our ways, the virus will solve our population problem.