More Cash Needed to Help Care for Indians With HIV

In order to achieve a five-year goal of cutting HIV infection rates in India, the government there has massively increased its AIDS budget in recent years. But while this strategy is wide-ranging and highly regarded, AIDS workers on the frontline say more funding needs to be directed their way.

"We need more money. We need much more, for medication especially," said Father Sunny Joseph, administrator at Snehadaan, a community-based, 50-bed care center on the rural outskirts of the southern city of Bangalore. The staff of 42 provides services ranging from counseling and support to palliative care. Twenty AIDS orphans age 11 and younger live at the center.

Snehadaan receives $1,350 a month from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria and the local Karnataka Health Promotion Trust. The Samartha Project -- a five-year, $20 million US Agency for International Development program focused on 12 high-prevalence areas in Karnataka state -- provides $1,200 per month for the center. Snehadaan also receives funding from local benefactors as well as from the charitable trust that runs the center.

However, Snehadaan spends $1,800 to $2,000 month on medicines. The remaining budget goes toward wages and operating costs. "It's not enough," said Joseph.

Local facilities like Snehadaan are at the heart of the government's HIV/AIDS strategy, yet Joseph said budgets are tight and demand for services is high.

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