The Kathmandu Call

THE two-day South Asian conference on HIV/AIDS, which brought together international luminaries to discuss the magnitude and consequences of the killer disease in the region, concluded in Kathmandu the other day adopting the historic Kathmandu Call. The regional resolve to fight HIV/AIDS calls for collective and resolute efforts to prevent it before it gets to more epidemic proportions. This is an important milestone in the regional fight against AIDS. Statistics and research indicate that the killer disease is increasing its grip over the entire South Asian region, which is a matter of grave concern. Experts have clearly warned that if the present trend continues unabated, South Asia would soon overtake Africa's Sub-Saharan region, which is now the most AIDS-affected region in the world. Against this background, it is very urgent to take immediate and effective measures against HIV/AIDS in South Asia. Poor and young people are most vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, which is likely to bring about more devastating consequences to human security and development. Statistics show that more than half of the new infections occur among young people. This presents a very precarious scenario.

Absolute poverty, illiteracy and gender inequality have further marginalised the already poor people who are more prone to HIV/AIDS. These marginalised people constitute sex workers, drug users, migrant workers and refugees, who have little or no knowledge of the causes of HIV/AIDS and the preventive methods that help fight the spread of this dangerous disease. South Asia is the region that houses the largest number of poor and illiterate people. As a result, South Asia could be the region that will have the largest number of HIV/AIDS infected people, if immediate preventive measures are not implemented. In the drive against HIV/AIDS, the first and foremost effort should be directed towards attacking massive poverty, illiteracy and ignorance. In the same way, equal opportunity for education, access to health, employment, information relating to causes of AIDS and awareness for behavioral change could be other important ways to combat HIV/AIDS. Nepal alone has approximately 60,000 HIV/AIDS infected cases. Given the size of Nepal's population, this is also an alarming scenario. As India is the country with the largest number of HIV/AIDS infected people in South Asia, Nepal is likely to become more vulnerable to this disease because of the open border and free movement of people between these two countries. It is, thus, very urgent to step up regional initiatives to fight HIV/AIDS and protect the humanity in the true spirit of the Kathmandu Call.

Empowering DDCs

FOLLOWING the passage of the Local Self-Governance Act a few years ago, there have been some efforts to build the capacity of local bodies in order that they are able to perform tasks as envisaged by the Act. But these measures have not been sufficient to see the fruition of local self-governance to the desired degree. The passage of the Act was one thing, but to develop these local bodies into fully functioning, capable institutions is quite another. Mere legal provisions delegating powers to these local bodies did not amount to much, when the legal powers were not supplemented by concrete support to enhance their capabilities. Hence, though the Act has paved a clear way for strengthening Nepal's grassroots democracy, much remained to be done to make these local bodies competent agencies that could carry out development works suited to the local needs and wants. In this context, District Development Committees as the district-level local bodies responsible for the district-wide development works have a major role to play. Without these offices technically empowered to undertake development works, not much local development can be expected at the Village Development Committee levels.

Against this backdrop, the decision of His Majesty's Government, the other day, to include the existing district infrastructure development offices under the DDCs is a welcome step. Appended to District Development Committees, these offices will now be known as District Technical Offices and will function as one of the DDC sections until the establishment of a separate technical sector. All technicians under the DDCs will be incorporated in these district technical offices and the offices will be fully responsible and accountable to DDCs. These offices will bear the full responsibility of making feasibility study, survey, mapping, estimation, supervision and evaluation of construction works relating to physical infrastructure development in the districts. This move is most logical and natural, and was overdue. With these technical offices under its wings, each DDC now will be in a position to plan and carry out a host of development works, funds permitting. A comprehensive technical back-up, that was regarded as the most pressing need of DDCs, will be in place now, instead of the existing ad-hoc arrangement of technical support from district-level line agencies. The elected people's representatives will now have at their command a technical section that would carry out development works as per the needs and priorities of that district-the needs and priorities that are determined as per the local people's wishes.