The Hindu : Join global AIDS diplomacy, U.S. tells Govts.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 08, 2003

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Join global AIDS diplomacy, U.S. tells Govts.

By Feroze Ahmed

CHENNAI JULY 7. The United States has invited governments to include HIV/AIDS in their foreign affairs initiatives and appoint specific envoys to be part of the `global AIDS diplomacy' to confront ``a disease that has become more powerful than any weapon of mass destruction''.

``It is about engaging diplomats in meeting leaders, non-governmental organisations and people living with the virus as partners in thought and action, and transforming the way we think about and act on AIDS,'' the Secretary of State's Special Representative for HIV/AIDS, Jack C. Chow, told The Hindu in an interview last evening.

Holding the rank of Ambassador in this capacity, Dr. Chow said the U.S. was integrating HIV/AIDS in its diplomatic missions abroad and welcomed other governments to engage specific diplomats to interact with envoys like him.

His trip to India, he said, was part of the U.S.-India Global Issues Forum visits to programmes supported by U.S. initiatives, for identifying future needs and prospective courses of action against AIDS, and defining new joint ventures.

On another level, the Ambassador said his presence in India was meant to complement the visit of Africa by the U.S. President, George W. Bush, who was there chiefly to promote his new $ 15-billion AIDS initiative. (The U.S. is also a key contributor to the Global Fund for fighting AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.)

Treatment-centric approach

As for the debate on shifting from the current prevention-oriented approach to providing treatment to people living with the virus, Dr. Chow said that with the rising number of AIDS orphans and children with HIV in India, prevention was still an absolute necessity. He, however, indicated a gradual shift in the global arena, pointing out that the Bush initiative was treatment-centric.

Calling for a greater thrust to awareness for equipping people, governments and civil society to handle the disease, he said, ``HIV/AIDS works in the shadows of societies that are stigmatised, and thus, the infected people feel they cannot get the care they need. Almost 50 per cent of HIV victims do not even know that they carry the virus. They do not get medical care and continue infecting others.''

On treatment, especially availability of anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs, he said the U.S., through the World Trade Organisation, was seeking a multilateral solution to allow export of generic medicine to countries such as India, where it was needed most.

``The U.S. Government is also supporting voluntary price reduction, and investment in research and development through public-private participation to develop new ARV drugs''.

Mass killer

At an earlier programme, organised by the Indian Medical Association, Dr. Chow referred to AIDS as more powerful than any weapon of mass destruction. ``With 25 million people killed by HIV and 45 million others living with it, and millions at direct risk of acquiring the virus, we believe that HIV/AIDS has become a disease of mass destruction.''

The Ambassador then laid down a policy and operational architecture to combat AIDS. Its first pillar was to advance effective public health strategies of prevention, treatment, medical and social care, and research.

The second pillar was to mobilise civil society and the third to develop political, business and community leadership at the national and grass roots levels to speak about HIV/AIDS, and create an atmosphere so that people living with the virus could openly speak about it and receive treatment. These three pillars, Dr. Chow said, should finally be supported by a foundation of resource commitment, both in terms of financial and human capital.

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