Aradhana Johri, Chief of India’s National AIDS Control Organisaiton, told the Asia and the Pacific AIDS Congress their first concern was to understand the disease to know what was happening.
“When we found intravenous drug-users were driving the epidemic, we were able to address them. Today we know migration is the drive, and we trying to address that before it assumes epidemic proportions.
“So it’s important to have a flexible policy that can be revised on the basis of emerging data,” she said as a lesson for countries like Bangladesh that are yet to cut down on new infections.
She, however, added that "no prescription can be given from outside" and that the solution "has to come from within".
Aradhana Johri, Chief of India’s National AIDS Control Organisaiton, told the Asia and the Pacific AIDS Congress their first concern was to understand the disease to know what was happening.
“When we found intravenous drug-users were driving the epidemic, we were able to address them. Today we know migration is the drive, and we trying to address that before it assumes epidemic proportions.
“So it’s important to have a flexible policy that can be revised on the basis of emerging data,” she said as a lesson for countries like Bangladesh that are yet to cut down on new infections.
She, however, added that "no prescription can be given from outside" and that the solution "has to come from within".
Replying a question she said India and Bangladesh could work together because of cross-border migration between the two neighbours.
“Many counties in the region have the issue of migration. So, the governments have to work together,” she said.
But, in India, internal migration also posed a problem, she said.
The conference discussed the ways to reduce new infections and achieving a series of zeros - zero new infection, zero AIDS deaths, and zero stigma and discrimination.