The Indian AIDS paradox where home pharmaceutical companies export anti-HIV drugs even as the same is hard to find in government hospitals was taken up at the first congregation of health professionals and corporate representatives at the Indian summit of the World Economic Forum (WEF) that was held here today. National AIDS Control Association Project Director Meenakshi Dutta Ghosh assured the audience that the matter would be taken up with the pharmaceutical companies. “It is very unfortunate that our companies make these drugs available to other countries and people in India still do not have access to them. “The Health Minister is aware of this situation. Hopefully, we will start talking to these companies very soon about the possibility of bringing down the prices of anti-retrovirals,” Ghosh said while explaining that the government has already introduced antiretroviral treatment to prevent mother-to-child transmission in some states. She said this will be extended to every district in the country by 2004.The panel discussion on ‘Investing in Health: Prevention and Treatment Challenges’ was organised by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) under the aegis of the World Economic Forum. Holding forth from the Health Ministry’s side was Ghosh along with Seth Berkley of the IAVI, Rajnikant Arole of the Comprehensive Rural Health Project along with corporate representatives.The panelists also recommended that a medial panel be set up that would evolve a strategy paper on AIDS awareness in India. Ghosh said that NACO has already signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding with the BBC World Service Trust and Prasar Bharati and they are already producing a serial and information capsules on AIDS. “But a comprehensive strategy would be welcome so that individual efforts are not replicated,” Ghosh said.On the issue of the level of partnership between NGOs, corporate sector and the government in health sector, Arole of the Comprehensive Rural Health Project said that NGOs often get left out at the level of planning although they have an important role to play in implementing strategies at the local level.“AIDS is a disease that carries stigma with it. NGOs can be effectively used to remove the stigma and create awareness,” Arole said.
