Legislation to eradicate discrimination against HIV/AIDS

Chennai, Nov 18: Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss today said the Centre would enact legislation to eradicate discrimination against HIV/AIDS-affected people in the country.

The legislation would be brought in during the next budget session of Parliament, he said, while addressing the 'Third International Inter-faith Workshop on HIV/AIDS Stigma and Discrimination' organised by the India Inter-faith Coalition on HIV/AIDS.

Stating the number of HIV/AIDS was increasing alarmingly, he stressed the need to introduce sex education in schools. ''We have to be more open-minded and should be prepared to discuss sex,'' he said.

The HIV/AIDS is not only a health issue but also a socio-economic problem, he said and added that the growth rate of India, which is at present 8.2 per cent, would see a downfall if the HIV/AIDS cases increased.

With 600 million people below the age of 25 years, India had the second largest growing population in the world. But the country's vibrant youth population is under the increasing risk of the HIV/AIDS, he said.

Stating that the Union Government is streamlining HIV/AIDS programmes, Dr Ramadoss said India is the only country where a Prime Minister is chairing the National Council on AIDS. Besides Union Ministers, seven Chief Ministers are also its members, he added.

Dr Ramadoss expressed concern that the AIDS population in the country comprised 40 per cent of women. He said 86 per cent of affected people had inherited the disease from their partners, while the rate of transmission of virus from mothers to children is 2.5 per cent. The Union Minister said the spread of HIV/AIDS through blood transfusion had been brought down from eight to two per cent.

Stating that 12,000 condom vending machines had been installed across the country, he said another 11,000 would be added by the end of next year.

On the campaign against polio, Dr Ramadoss said there were only 66 polio cases last year. But this year, 530 cases had been reported so far, with 80 to 85 per cent being reported in Uttar Pradesh and the remaining cases in Bihar.

UNI