Roads and AIDS

The government of India has launched a very ambitious programme of building 20 km of road everyday. Such a gigantic programme was long awaited in an infrastructure deficient economy like India. However, thus far only the positive impact of such a programme on mobility and economic efficiency have been talked about. Social impacts of such a huge programme have been neglected. One area which needs particular attention is the high risk of AIDS.

Report on the Global HIV/AIDS epidemic, 2002 UNAIDS, report that transport workers are twice as likely to acquire HIV as workers in ‘low-risk’ occupations. Transport workers are at such a high risk because of high risk practices that tend to be common along the road ways.

The opening up of new transport routes increases the risk of spreading the infection from one place to another as migrant workers, on the construction sites are separated from their families for prolonged periods, which increases the risk of transmitting the disease to the population living along the new routes or to their wives or other sexual partners. Truckers present the same high-risk behavior. Various surveys in the South Asian region have revealed that the percentage of truckers visiting sex workers regularly ranges from 25 percent to 80 percent. (World Bank). Therefore, with 6 million truck drivers in India, the impact of HIV AIDS on the trucking industry has important social and economic implications on the rest of the country.

Given the high prevalence rate of HIV infection among transport workers and poor access to treatment, a significant number is likely to experience a drop in earnings and productivity as the epidemic prevails. The construction workers and truckers are very vulnerable because of their lack of knowledge on HIV AIDS and STD and how to protect themselves.

The following are the main efforts being made in India to reduce the risk of AIDS:

• The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has acknowledged that HIV/AIDS is a corporate social responsibility and has launched an awareness programme called "Pathik Mela" on two national highways. Several programs are similarly underway targeted at truck drivers, commercial sex workers and the communities surrounding the truckers.
• Transport Corporation of India (TCI) has intervention programs focused on Long-distance truckers with clinical management of sexually transmitted infections and related counseling through condom promotion and social marketing and community mobilization.
• Delhi Metro Corporation (DMC) targets migrant workers and their program focuses mainly on increasing HIV/AIDS awareness and improved sexual behaviors, attitudes and practices; and promoting the use of condom.

The ambitious road programme of the government of India must consider the potential risk of a sudden increase in the number of HIV patients. It is now clear that, infection rates are particularly high at border crossings where transport workers are subjected to lengthy delays and both health and workplace services are typically weak. Therefore, a more active programme at the all India level rather than awareness programmes at one or two national highways is needed.