Thaindian News

New Delhi, May 5 (IANS) The Delhi Network of Positive People (DNP+), an umbrella body of HIV-positive people in the capital, Thursday said it was important to have the community’s feedback while planning the fourth phase of India’s AIDS control programme (2012-2017).

According to a statement, the National AIDS Control Programme Phase IV (NACP IV) plan will define the national response over the next five years.

“The working groups of the NACP IV will focus on key policy areas, including medicine procurement, stigma and discrimination, prevention, vulnerable communities, care, support and treatment. It is not enough to have government departments, funders and international NGOs on the table,” the statement said.

“People Living with HIV (PLHIV) networks, vulnerable communities, especially sex workers, sexual minorities and others, must feel they have an equal if not a bigger stake in the planning of HIV prevention and treatment efforts under NACP IV,” it added.

According to the statement, the working group meeting organised by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) on care, support and treatment was held in the capital May 2-3 but was “conducted in secrecy while the affected community - the PLHIV networks of different regions and states including Delhi — barely had any information about it”.

Vikas Ahuja from DNP+ said: “The lack of transparency in the constitution of the working groups, like the one on drug procurement, is a case in point. Without the feedback from the community on stock outs or excess stocks of medicines at anti-retroviral therapy (ART) centres, how will drug procurement be reformed?”

“But we have no information on the working group set up to look at drug procurement for the AIDS treatment programme. Under section four of the Right to Information Act 2005, every public authority, including NACO, is required to disclose information voluntarily,” he added.