Money problems: After teachers, HIV advocacies join chorus against govt

• ‘Nagaland govt’s lack of political will again’
• Another case of ‘non-release’ of funds
• ‘Fund crunch aggravating spread of HIV’

EMN
Dimapur, November 20

The grievance associated with salaries, program funds and finances in general attributed to the government of Nagaland seems to be growing. Another HIV & AIDS advocacy group has accused the state government of lacking political will. The so-claimed ‘financial crisis’ of the state government has withheld funds that tells upon the ‘commitment of the Nagaland government in addressing the burden of HIV &AIDS in the state.’
A nongovernmental organization working in the field of substance and HIV & AID has warned that the state government not releasing funds has threatened services to the affected community. The organization, Nagaland Users’ Network (NUN), issued a press release on Friday calling for a solution.“Nagaland Users’ Network has taken a serious note of the non-release of AIDS funds which threatens to disrupt the service provided to the Injection drug users (IDUs) under NACP,” the NUN stated.
The statement said that prevention of HIV and control programs are ‘undergoing a setback due to the financial crisis as a result of the non-timely release of funds by the state government to the nongovernmental organizations implementing harm reduction programs.’
The group explained: ‘Ever since the detection of HIV in 1990, the state has responded to addressing the epidemic and ever since the state has started implementing 31 OST programs and 53 TI projects of which majority are implemented with the injection drug users’ where the Needle syringe exchange program is a key component in the prevention of HIV.’
Services such as counseling, referrals, abscess management, OST, and NSEP etc play a very crucial role in the life of an IDU.
“But the lack of funds makes it impossible for the NGOs to deliver these services. NUN has stated this financial crisis as a ‘lack of political will’ and also questioned the commitment of the Nagaland government in addressing the burden of HIV/AIDS in the state.’
The NUN stated, “Over the years, the prevalence rate of HIV among IDUs has significantly decrease due to effective Harm Reduction service implementation and lauded the NGOs for their contribution. However, such a financial crisis will let loose the AIDS Virus whereby rampant spread will occur and our fight against this epidemic will be defeated.”
While understanding the new financial policy and with the World AIDS Day fast-approaching, on December 1, the NUN has urged the government to “fastrack the file process and release the fund to NSACS lest the day’s observance see the display of black ribbons instead of the Universal Red Ribbon symbol.”
The NUN has called for a long term solution to end ‘this imbroglio so that the state does not continue to struggle every quarter due to such financial crisis.’
The press release was appended by Ketho Angami, coordinator of the NUN.