by Nirmala Carvalho

The Archbishop of Shillong spoke at the 62nd annual meeting of the Catholic Health Association of India. The President of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers, Cardinal Barragán, inaugurated the event.

Shillong (AsiaNews) – Card Lozano Barragán, President of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers, inaugurated in Shillong (capital of the north-eastern Indian state of Meghalaya) the 62nd annual meeting of the Catholic Health Association of India (CHAI). The prelate is back in India after two years; in 2003, he visited the Marian shrine of "Our Lady of Health" on World Day of the Sick.

CHAI's annual meeting, which began on September 20 and is scheduled to end today, is focusing this year on "Access to health in the context of the HIV/AIDS pandemic". Mgr Dominic Jala, Archbishop of Shillong, presided over the inaugural session.

In an interview with AsiaNews, Archbishop Jala said: "I am extremely pleased with CHAI's work [. . .] in health care. CHAI has been a pioneer in India, especially in the fields of HIV and AIDS."

"It is alarming," he stressed, "that the number of HIV-infected people is rising, especially in the 15 to 20 age group. This is a disturbing trend as this age group represents the future generation. We have to double our efforts to combat this menace, which, in addition to being a health issue, is a sign of wider social malaise. We must intensify HIV/AIDS prevention through aggressive education and information programmes that include the school system."

The Archbishop also spoke about Cardinal Barragán's visit. "He is our chief guest. In his inaugural speech, the Cardinal spoke about the global picture of HIV/AIDS. He gave the distressing statistics of the disease's impact in Africa, Asia and other continents," Archbishop Jala said.

Still, "the Cardinal was pleased with the Church's response to the growing crisis, positively noting that in India 80-85 per cent of all HIV/AIDS patients are cared for in the 62 Church-run hospitals and institutions. He also praised the professionalism of health care workers and the treatment they are able to give the sick. He went on to urge everyone to vigorously continue the fight against the virus and provide the population information about prevention".

Fr Sebastian Ouseparambil, CHAI's president, said that "over 700 health care professionals were expected at the CHAI meeting."

The Association's aim is "improve the health of the people and standards of hospitals, health centre and dispensaries as well as health care services throughout India, focusing on the poor and marginalised, especially women and children."

CHAI, Mr Ouseparambil said, also works to "promote, realise and safeguard progressively higher ideals and values in spiritual, moral, ethical, medical nursing, education, social and all other phases of health endeavour."

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