"So when UNAIDS comes up and makes a statement that India has the highest number of infections, they are not comparing apples with apples - they are comparing apples with oranges," she said.
India plans to spend about $ 2. 5 billion during the next 5 years to fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic, out of which Rs. 700 crore ($ 152 million) will be spent in fiscal 2006/2007 on stemming rising infections - most of which will be spent on anti-retroviral treatment, counselling, distribution of condoms and awareness campaigns.
According to Rao, teams of the World Bank and another international funding agency are currently in India to make appraisal of phase three of the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP-III) and decid about their contribution to the country's fight against AIDS.
"The teams, making technical examinations, are more or less satisfied with the government's proposed programme to fight the dreaded disease. Many international organizations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are going to contribute to the country's fight against AIDS," Rao said. "Once they approve the programme and decide on their contribution to NACP-III, the government would decide abou bridging the gap in the resources. The project would be implemented after it is cleared by the Finance Ministry."The NACP-III would be implemented during the 11th 5-year Plan and is likely to start from November this year to 2012, she said.
NACP-III would adopt a multi-pronged strategy and cover all high-risk groups like sex workers, truck drivers, drug users and homosexuals, she said, adding, "Since NACP-III would take the HIV/AIDS control programme to the district level, the government is planning to involve the community leaders from grassroots in a big way in implementing it."
Sixty percent of HIV/AIDS cases have been reportedin rural areas in India and some of the factors leading to the high vulnerability level are poverty, natural calamities, ignorance, gender disparities and limited access to healthcare facilities, Rao said.
The U.N. estimates about 400,000 deaths related to HIV/AIDS occurred in India last year - a figure Rao said was possible, although studies by the government were still underway.
A daily newspaper recently reported that the HIV/AIDS epidemic may kill 11 million people in India over the next 20 years.
While Indian officials have not accepted the UNAIDS figure for India and continue to cite the Health Ministry's number of 5.2 million people living with HIV/AIDS, anti-AIDS groups say the real figure is higher as the stigma attached to the disease prevents some people from reporting their status. Besides, deaths are not recorded as HIV-related in medical records.
Surojit Chatterjee
Christian Today India Correspondent
