India to spend 2.5 billion dollars to fight HIV/AIDS in NACP III

New Delhi, Aug 7 (UNI) India will spend 2.5 billion dollars under phase three of the National AIDS Control Programme during the next five years to fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic, National AIDS Control Organisation Project Director Sujatha Rao said today.

Talking to mediapersons, Ms Rao said that currently the World Bank and DFDI teams are here to make appraisal of the NACP III and decide about their contribution to the country's fight against AIDS.

Ms Rao said the teams are making technical examination.

They are more or less satsified with the government's proposed programme to fight the dreaded disease, she said and added that only after approving they would clearly indicate their contribution to the estimated 2.5 billion dollars required to fight the disease.

Apart from World Bank and DFID, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and many other international organisations are going to contribute to the NACP III.

She said once they approve the programme and decide on their contribution to the NACP III, the government would decide about bridging the gap in the resources. Once the Finance Ministry clears it, the project would be implemented.

NACP phase II was completed in March this year and the next phase would be implemented during the elventh five year plan. The implementation is likely to start from November this year to 2012, she said.

She said the NACP III would be much improved than the earlier programme as it strives to mainstream the HIV/AIDS control programme in every department and programme of the country.

Moreover, under NACP III, a multi-pronged strategy would be adopted and all high risk groups like sex workers, truck drivers, drug users and Men having sex with men would be fully covered as they are main sources of infection in the country.

Since the NACP III will take the HIV/AIDS control programme to the district level, the government is planning to involve the community leaders from grassroot in a big way in implementing the programme.

A National Convention of Zilla Parishad Adhyakshas and mayors form across India would be held tomorrow to strengthen the grassroot level response to HIV/AIDS epidemic in the country, she said.

The convention being jointly organised with the Parliamentarians' Forum on HIV/AIDS, NACO and UNAIDS is aimed at bringing local governance mechanism--Panchayati Raj and Nagarpalika Institutions--to the forefront to battle HIV/AIDS at district level.

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