‘20 million HIV victims by 2010? These are wild projections’

I think a lot of people are making a big noise with the objective of jostling the government into dramatic action. But it doesn’t seem to be working out that way. Given the government’s reaction, I don’t think such statements go down very well with them.

How exactly does the world community view the extent of this problem in India?
The world is watching India very closely. Apart from high-profile people like Bill Gates making statements and investing in healthcare in India, world leaders are concerned about the African experience being repeated in Asia. I was appointed as a UN Special Representative for HIV/AIDS in Asia. This is where a large chunk of the world population lives. So naturally there is concern.

Despite the hype about AIDS, patients still get thrown out of the hospital. Don’t you think the real solution lies in improving healthcare infrastructure, instead of concentrating on specific diseases in isolation?
You are absolutely right. In any case, the government cannot do everything. They should concentrate on areas like strengthening healthcare infrastructure and let the NGOs do advocacy and raise awareness. The corporate sector needs to be involved in making HIV victims self-reliant. Established sectors like the Railways can also help in this area.

You seem to be quite convinced that the government is actually doing something, and the AIDS figures are exaggerated.
I definitely think that the Indian government is far more involved than they appear to be. They need to talk about some of the things they are doing. You see, in a large country like India, the exact numbers will never be known. But at least there is a realisation that the disease is spreading. The Indian government needs to talk about what they are doing a bit more loudly.