AIDS, the destroyer

Communities are not closed anymore. Societies have been thrown open. The number of working people of both sexes are on the increase. Opportunities for unprotected sex are also on the rise.

In the circumstances, the Devil operates in the shape of AIDS, acronym for Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome. There is something devilishly peculiar to the condition. AIDS is not the name of a particular disease. It is a condition synonymous with total lack of immunity. Any disease can attack a person with this condition. No drug will work against the disease. It is devilishly all-embracing dearth of stamina. It is caused by the virus, HIV (Human Immuno Virus).

But then even the Devil cannot be cast off. There should be salvation for one and all.

The estimated HIV-infected population is 40 million in the world. Half of the HIV-infected people live in the Sub-Saharan Africa.

But what about India? It is home to 5.7 million HIV-infected people, as per the estimates taken in 2005. We stand diseased next only to South Africa.

We are sitting on a powder keg. It would explode any time, unless we take preventive measures.

More than a million people are receiving anti-retroviral drugs treatment in African countries. A few years ago such anti-retroviral drugs treatment was confined to the rich. Over 6.8 million people need treatment urgently. WHO funds and private trust funds such as those from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation could be effectively used to cover the infected people.

UN-inspired global fund and the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief have also been contributing significantly to tackling the menace.

The fact that 76 per cent of the infected people still remain untreated presents a dismal scenario.

If drugs are given to infected pregnant women, the disease would not be transmitted to the children. No infected pregnant should remain untreated.

It is understood that before long the virus would develop resistance to the basic drugs the patients need. Thousands of patients would need second-line drugs, which still remain unaffordable.

Undiagnosed and untreated HIV infection is tantamount to humanity committing a sin.

Prevention is always better than cure. The sections of society which are over-exposed should be told that they are vulnerable.

Lately, the Business Process Outsourcing industry in India is being cautioned to be careful about contracting the dreaded virus.

They would be taught how to avoid the risk of contracting HIV.The new-found social freedom of call centre employees makes them vulnerable to contract the virus. Awareness programmes are on the way to caution them. This is part of the joint initiative of the Global Business Coalition and the Confederation of Indian Industry.

Since the BPO industry is booming all over the country, spread of virus can also be on a large scale.

Call centre management groups are aware that the environment in their workplace is conducive to youngsters getting attracted. It is, therefore, imperative that these youngsters should be made aware of the danger looming large before them.

HIV is here to stay. There can be no going back. But there is a sure way to prevent it.