The [him] moderator's favourite quote from this Manipuri article from India is "Being ruled by the Army it's difficult."
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Indian states keen on Burma fighting AIDS
Subhaschandra M
Mizzima News
30 October 2006
Indian states in the north east affected by the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) have been trying hard to convince the Burmese
authorities to take part in the ongoing global war against the dreaded disease.
"We've held a meeting with Myanmar (Burma) officials thrice in Tamu town. The discussions will continue," Dr Kh Pramodkumar, Project Director of Manipur State AIDS control Society said.
According to official reports, 8.3 million Asians were afflicted with HIV in 2005 due to an AIDS epidemic that hit under-developed and developing countries in Southeast Asia.
The situation in India is alarming as the country has more than five million HIV infected people according to a survey report last year end.
"But we have heard it's difficult to conduct a survey in Myanmar. Being ruled by the Army it's difficult," Dr Pramod said. Manipur officials led
by the project director held discussions in this regard with Burmese officials headed by the Chairman of the Tamu Town recently.
But so far no joint effort has been initiated on the porous international border areas to combat the disease. Non Governmental Organisations of
Manipur said most of Burma's drug users as well as sex workers living along the Indo-Burma border went underground fearing punishment of up to 10 years in prison by the Burmese military junta.
"It is very dangerous, as the disease may spread faster," an NGO official said. Drug users as well as sex workers should be rehabilitated to
identify their problems and issues and also to stop the disease spreading to the Indian population particularly those residing along border areas.
Manipur, an Indian border state with a population of two million, has asmany as 23,564 persons with HIV positive infection including 5,194
women. This was detected in a survey of drug users in Moreh, the border town in 1990. So far 547 persons were "officially" reported to have died, not to speak of the "unreported cases".
A two-day media consultation workshop to fight the disease in India's northeastern states was also held in Guwahati from October 25 to 26
under the aegis of Centre for Advocacy and Research, MACS and Project ORCHID.
