Few doubt that India now has the momentum to push through the changes it needs. A series of general strikes may have brought New Delhi to a standstill in November, but there is no stopping the software industry. It now has 3.5 million HIV patients and the disease is spreading quickly. Nalin Nag, senior consultant in international medicine at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, believes that tackling the epidemic in India is more complicated and difficult than in other countries owing to the poor socio-economic conditions and widespread illiteracy. Nag pointed out that India suffers from ill-planned and poorly executed strategies, poor funding and poor nutrition.
Drugs are scarce and relatively expensive.
One of the greatest difficulties is that up to now the government appears to be the losing the battle to provide help. Not only is the assistance that is given often misdirected, but import duties on the raw materials needed for the manufacture of Aids drugs also hinder distribution and raise costs. The government admits that it has had problems. JVR Prasada Rao, additional secretary at the Ministry of Health, conceded that there was a long period of denial about the scope of the disease between 1986 and 1992. Money is, of course, the main problem.