*1000 AIDS DEATHS IN INDIA EVERY DAY* ** *Bangalore HIV-AIDS Forum invites you to* *join the Global AIDS Week of Action* *to pressurise the government to*
*Provide Free AIDS Treatment * *Save People's Lives* *PROTEST RALLY 10 AM, 24TH MAY 2007, THURSDAY* *starts from Makkalakoota, Chamarajpet* ** *PUBLIC MEETING 12 noon, 24TH MAY 2007, THURSDAY* *Bannappa Park, Corporation Circle* ** ** *AIDS kills 8000 people each day around the world. 3 out of 4 HIV positive people in the world still lack treatment. India is home to an estimated 57 lakhs of HIV positive people. Indian Government provides ARV, the life saving drugs to only 1 out of 10 HIV positive people. Every HIV positive person should get free ARV irrespective of their class, caste, gender, sexuality, age, geographical location, profession etc. There should be a strong political will to keep the Government's promise to stop these needless deaths of women, men and children. * * * *In the name of 'patents', multinational drug companies put profits before people by blocking the production of less expensive generic versions of ARV. Indian Government must follow the footsteps of Thailand Government and declare AIDS as a national emergency and give compulsory licenses for the production of ARV. Rich nations such as the G8 must back their warm words on AIDS with real funds. Instead of pumping money into 'global war on terror', illegal occupation of Iraq, wars for oil, production of nuclear weapons and militarization, they should fund to save lives, to fight HIV/AIDS and starvation deaths.* * * *Stigma, discrimination, rejection and human rights violations are fuelling the deaths of HIV positive people in India. HIV positive people face severe human rights violations across the country - discrimination in healthcare settings; children thrown out of schools; people pushed out of homes and jobs; women, particularly widows, denied their rightful share in the property; double stigma against sexuality minorities, sex workers and IDUs (Injecting Drug Users); exclusion and rejection by families and friends… Powerlessness of sexuality minorities, sex workers, IDUs, women, children, migrants, people with disabilities, nomadic communities, dalits and adivasis and their marginalization makes them vulnerable to HIV infection. They lack information, resources and access to health and livelihoods. Central and State Governments must ensure protection of human rights of its people.* * * *Poverty, lack of food and nutrition kill most of the HIV positive people in India. Adequate nutrition can help keep the immune system of HIV positive people strong for many years and help in delaying the intake of ARV. Good nutrition is essential for people on ARV, as the drugs are very toxic. HIV infections make people poorer as they are forced to spend a significant portion of their income for the treatment of OIs (Opportunistic Infections) as our public health system has almost collapsed. Government needs to consider this vital fact and provide food and nutritional supplements to needy HIV positive people and take immediate steps to revitalize public health system. * * * *Most people across India don't even know about their HIV positive status. HIV-AIDS programs are still covering a limited number of people from a few targeted populations and very little coverage of general population. Less than 5% of pregnant women have access to PPTCT (Prevention of Parent To Child Transmission) resulting in a estimated 57000 new born babies infected every year. There are very few HIV-AIDS programs to address the needs of vulnerable populations including migrants, people with disabilities, adivasis, dalits, nomadic communities etc. HIV-AIDS programs need an immediate scale up to cover each and every person of our country.* * * *HIV testing facilities are far and few, and proper counseling is a rarity as the centres are understaffed. In many VCTCs (Voluntary Counseling and Testing Centres) if there is staff, there is no testing equipment and vice-versa - a classic example of our public health system. HIV positive people have to pay a huge sum of money for various tests – viral load, CD4 count etc. Many HIV positive people in India are already developed resistance to 1st line of ARV and need 2nd line of ARV immediately. If the government doesn't start providing 2nd line drugs they have no choice but die. Our Government is not even providing pediatric formulations of ARV to all children who are in need. Health as a basic right is constitutionally guaranteed to every person. Indian State has an obligation to provide all regimens of ARV, OI treatment, testing facilities, care and support at free of cost to all its citizens.* * * *People affected are best equipped to lead the movement and our Governments completely ignore this in addressing the AIDS pandemic. It is high time that people infected and worst affected are given central space in the struggle against HIV-AIDS.*
