Question : NEW AIDS POLICY

(a) whether Government have formulated a new AIDS policy;

(b) if so, the salient features of the Policy; and

(c) the manner, this new policy is different from earlier policy?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI A. RAJA)

(a): Yes, Sir.

(b): The salient features of National AIDS Prevention and Control Policy are as under:-


(i) to prevent the epidemic from spreading further and to reduce the impact of the epidemic not only upon the infected persons but upon the health and socio-economic status of the general population at all levels. The policy envisages effective containment of the infection levels of HIV/AIDS in the general population in order to achieve zero level of new infections by 2007,


(ii) to reiterate strongly the Government`s firm commitment to prevent the spread of HIV infection and reduce personal and social impact,


(iii) to generate a feeling of ownership among all the participants both at the Government and non-Governemnt levels, like the Central Ministries and agencies of the Government of India, State Governments, city corporations, industrial undertakings in public and private sectors, panchayat institutions and local bodies to make it a truly national effort,


(iv) To create an enabling socio-economic environment for prevention of HIV/AIDS, to provide care and support to people living with HIV/AIDS and to ensure protection/promotion of their human rights including right to access health care system, right to education, employment and privacy, to mobilise support of a large number of NGOs/Community Based Organisations (CBOs) for an enlarged community initiative for prevention and alleviation of the HIV/AIDS problem,


(v) to decentralize HIV/AIDS control programme to the field level with adequate financial and administrative delegation of responsibilities,


(vi) to strengthen programme management capabilities at the State Governments, municipal corporations, panchayat institutions and leading NGOs participating in the programme,


(vii) to bring in horizontal integration at the implementation level with other national programmes like Reproductive and Child Health, TB control, Integrated Child Development Scheme and with the primary health care system,


(viii) to prevent women, children and other socially weak groups from becoming vulnerable to HIV infection by improving health education, legal status and economic prospects,


(ix) to provide adequate and equitable provision of health care to the HIV-infected people and to draw attention to the compelling public health rationale for overcoming stigmatization, discrimination and seclusion in society,


(x) to constantly interact with international and bilateral agencies for support and cooperation in the field of research in vaccines, drugs, emerging systems of health care and other financial and managerial inputs,


(xi) to ensure availability of adequate and safe blood and blood products for the general population through promotion of voluntary blood donation in the country, and


(xii) to promote better understanding of HIV infection among people, especially students, youth and other sexually active sections to generate greater awareness about the nature of its transmission and to adopt safe behavioural practices for prevention.


(c): There was no such approved policy earlier.