Take the Lead...Keep the promise!

Take the lead – the theme for this year’s World AIDS Day observance brings forth several issues and revelations.
The theme of leadership indicates a certain level of ‘maturity’ of the epidemic to a level where involvement of various segments of society is necessary. The AIDS epidemic which is more than two decades old has clearly advanced to a level where mere planning is insufficient; It is important that we include a sense of accountability, transparency and participation in our efforts to fight against HIV/AIDS; and it is the role of the leader to do this.
There are thousands of definitions of leadership but one of them seems particularly suited in this context. John Maxwell’s definition of leadership is that “leadership is influence- nothing more, nothing less.” This moves beyond the position defining leader, to looking at the ability of the leader to influence others – both those who consider themselves as followers, and those outside the circle. This also entails that a leader needs to have the commitment, character and charisma required to initiate and sustain desirable change.
Leadership is a catalytic element to garner support and canalise efforts for effective prevention and management of HIV/AIDS. We need leadership in planning, action, advocacy and documentation as each of these is an indispensable link in the chain of strategic events.
Leaders at all levels and strata right from the head of countries down to the village level need to be pro-active in their responses to the fight against AIDS. As succinctly put forth by World AIDS Campaign’s Executive Director Marcel Van Soest, accountability of the promises that have been made so far regarding our commitment to AIDS is required. In 2005, national leaders promised to move towards universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010. While G8 leaders have pledged approximately US$60 billion to combat AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, there’s no accountability as to how and when the resources will be dispersed. As a result of the many failed promises, progress to achieve universal access by 2010 has been minimal. At the end of 2006, coverage of children in need of AIDS treatment was only 15%; around 28% of people in need of antiretroviral treatment were accessing these medicines and an estimated 11% of HIV-infected pregnant women in developing countries were receiving anti-retrovirals for prevention of parent-to-child transmission. Now it is important that leaders across the world show a real commitment to the cause of AIDS by translating rhetoric into action.

Along with this we need to also create new leaders to plan and sustain strategies for the second generation of this epidemic for which a cure seems far too distant in the near future.
The leadership theme also highlights another important element - the element of participation and leadership from within the community of people living with HIV/AIDS. This stems from the universal consensus that empowerment and participation of HIV infected people can truly bring about the ultimate change in knowledge, attitudes, behaviour and perhaps even alter the course of the epidemic. Power (or empowerment as we know) cannot be given - it has to taken, as rightly pointed by Hannah Arendt. Hence it goes without saying that empowering PLHAs by integrating and including them in strategic planning is essential. Since the ‘community’ of PLHAs itself is diverse with sub groups of various kinds such as north-south, young-old, IDUs, alternative sexualities and many more, we need to seek leadership from all these quarters. Only when marginalised groups take the lead can we have policies that are effective and more inclusive.