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There might be a dispute over how successful the government has been in checking the onslaught of AIDS, but there’s no doubt that its d...

There might be a dispute over how successful the government has been in checking the onslaught of AIDS, but there’s no doubt that its decision to provide free anti-retroviral drugs to about one lakh people by the end of this year is already showing results.

According to the Indian Network of Positive People, the step has encouraged HIV-postive people to come forward and declare their status. The organisation has noted this trend in its centres spread across 13 states and 60 districts. According to the figures, the organisation was helping 6,000 AIDS-affected people since it was formed in 1997. But it has registered at least 4,000 more patients in the past six months.

‘‘People have heard about the free treatment and are coming forward and declaring their positive status in the hope of getting free drugs,’’ says Abraham Kurien, president of the Indian Network of Positive People.

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The Women’s Group has also witnessed a similar trend. The trend is confirmed by international organisations as well. Julian V. Howes, the Interim Regional Coordinator of the Global Network of Positive People, says: ‘‘The availability of ARV therapy is one of the things that can lead a person to confirm his HIV status.’’ But there are conflicting figures in the 2004 Report on Global AIDS on the number of deaths. ‘‘When there are no exact numbers with the government, how can it give the number of estimated deaths,’’ said a NGO member.

The project for providing free medicines, the brainchild of former health minister Sushma Swaraj, has not found favour with the new government. In the past six months, just 900 people have been put on therapy. ‘‘If the people keep on registering, and there is no promise of medicine, the numbers might start decreasing again,’’ says Ramachandran. ‘‘The medicine, if discontinued after starting, can be fatal,’’ he adds.

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