New Delhi: India and the World Bank have signed a loan agreement worth $250 million for the third phase of the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP-III).
Discrimination against HIV positive people is on the agenda as the National Aids Control Programme launches its third phase Friday.
The HIV awareness programme will focus on curbing the spread of HIV in India and making sure that those infected have access to treatment and care.
The loan will be given for promoting behavioural change by scaling up prevention efforts in the high risk groups and the general population and increased care, support and treatment of people living with HIV/AIDS.
The agreement was signed by Madhusudan Prasad, Joint Secretary (Fund Bank), Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance and Isabel M. Guerrero, Country Director, World Bank.
Interestingly, the third phase will also address issues of discrimination against those living with HIV-AIDS. In the last month, there have been several such cases that hit the headlines.
In Kottayam, children were stopped from going to school because they were HIV positive and last week, doctors in Meerut refused to deliver the baby of an HIV positive woman.
UNAIDS says, India currently has 57 lakh people with HIV/AIDS. The government is planning to spend Rs 11,585 crore in the Third phase of NACP.
Comments
0 comment