“Increasing access to healthcare important for combating HIV/AIDS”
Special Correspondent
National consultation on ‘HIV/AIDS: Response of Christian Colleges’ organised at MCC
— Photo: A. Muralitharan
Fighting AIDS: David T. Hopper, U.S. Consul-General in Chennai, lighting the lamp during the inauguration of a national consultation on HIV/AIDS at MCC, Tambaram, on Tuesday.
TAMBARAM: Lauding the efforts of the Central and State Governments and non-governmental organisations in combating HIV/AIDS in India, U.S. Consul-General in Chennai David T. Hopper on Tuesday said that an important task ahead was to reach out to those who had little access to healthcare, and to prevent stigma and discrimination against those infected by HIV/AIDS.
Speaking at the inaugural of a two-day national consultation on ‘HIV/AIDS: Response of Christian Colleges’ at Madras Christian College, Tambaram, he said a large number of people working in medium and small scale industries were deprived of healthcare.
Mr. Hopper said the world had acknowledged India’s path in economic growth, and that the country had become a force to reckon with. However, a consequence of HIV/AIDS was that it eroded the country’s economic growth, he said.
Pledging support
Pledging his country’s support in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, Mr. Hopper said that through the President’s Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) India received a grant of U.S. $ 30 million to fight the menace. U.S. agencies such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in addition to NGOs, had contributed significantly to India’s fight against HIV/AIDS.
He said the Tamil Nadu model in combating HIV/AIDS was worthy of replication in other parts of India too.
A majority of those affected by HIV/AIDS in India had very little access to healthcare facilities, and were also discriminated against.
The challenges ahead in India were increasing access to healthcare facilities, including anti-retroviral therapy centres, fighting stigma, and putting a stop to discrimination in workplaces, including corporate houses.
Among those who spoke on the occasion were Donald E. Messer, executive director, Centre for Chursh and Global AIDS, the U.S.; George M. Chandy, former director, Christian Medical College, Vellore; and V.J. Philip, principal of MCC.
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