Archive for the ‘News’ Category
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Ban on HIV-positive visitors, immigrants continues
A Congressional Budget Office report suggests the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention favors lifting a 1987 regulation that bans HIV-positive people from visiting or settling in the United States.
The regulation remains in effect after President Bush signed a sweeping global AIDS bill July 30 that includes language repealing an immigration law that also barred HIV-positive visitors from the country.
"Based on information from the CDC, CBO expects that the agency would amend the regulations concerning communicable diseases to allow aliens with HIV or AIDS into the United States if [the global AIDS bill] were enacted," say the CBO report, which was released in April.
"CBO expects that the amended regulations would take effect at the beginning of fiscal year 2010," the report says.
The report, which provides a cost estimate for implementing the global AIDS bill, represents the only known document indicating the Bush administrations intensions on whether to retain or lift the remaining regulatory ban on HIV visitors and immigrants.
Lou Chibbaro Jr., for The Washington Blade
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Vacancy: India World AIDS Day Project Coordinator (Pune / New Delhi)
The World AIDS Campaign, together with our partners Deep Griha Society (implementer of the Wake Up Pune Campaign) and the Naz Foundation (India) Trust, are currently seeking a Project Coordinator for India World AIDS Day event. This is a short term position, expected to begin October 1st and continue until the end of the year; applicants should be based in Pune or New Delhi.
For more information, please see the attached job description.
India World AIDS Day Project Coordinator
Deadline: September 10th, 2008 -
Condom ringtone launched in India
A cellphone ringtone that chants "condom, condom!" has been launched in India to promote safe sex and tackle the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic.
The "condom a cappella" has been designed to break down Indians' reluctance to discuss condom use and to make wearing a condom more acceptable.
Organisers of the campaign, funded by the foundation set up by Microsoft mogul Bill Gates and his wife Melinda, hope the ringtone will become a craze among young Indians.
About 2.5 million people live with HIV in India, said the BBC World Service Trust, the charity behind the ringtone, which was released this month. It can be downloaded at condomcondom.org.
TODAYonline.com -
AIDS fight needs religious leaders
Involving religious leaders is an essential measure to address HIV/AIDS issue in Muslim countries, said visiting human-rights activist Marina Mahathir on Tuesday, reports bdnews24.com.
Mahathir, a member of the International Steering Committee for the Asia Pacific Leadership Forum on HIV and AIDS, was sharing her experience on awareness campaigns at the city's Independent University of Bangladesh (IUB).
The seminar titled 'HIV/AIDS: Facing the Challenges' was the first in a series of seminar to be held countrywide, Professor M Omar Rahman, pro-vice-chancellor of IUB, said in his welcome note.
Explaining the perils of running campaigns on such sensitive issue as AIDS in Malaysia, Mahathir said their major challenges were social and religious sensitivity and the mindset of people toward AIDS victims.
Marina Mahathir, for Independent Bangladesh -
Re: A first: Kerala reserves post for HIV positive
VIEW: It is a PR exercise
Kerala recently became the first Indian state to reserve jobs for HIV positive candidates. The state has an estimated 25,000 HIV positive people.
The Kerala State AIDS Control Society (KSACS) announced that it had reserved a vacancy in its office for an HIV positive person to "improve coordination and communication with groups at risk and ensure effective prevention".
While this may seem like a laudable move, it is in fact little more than grandstanding for applause.
Editorial, The Times of India
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A first: Kerala reserves post for HIV positive
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: This is a quota that is unlikely to be embroiled in a debate about merit dilution and fairness. Kerala became the first Indian state on Tuesday to reserve a government job for HIV positive candidates, marking a new sensitivity for those afflicted with the killer virus.
The Kerala State Aids Control Society (KSACS) announced that it had reserved a vacancy in its office for HIV positive candidates with the hope that the presence of such a person will improve coordination and communication with groups at risk and ensure effective prevention.
"We have issued advertisements inviting applications to the post of coordinator, People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA), only from candidates who are HIV positive. Earlier, we had set this as a desirable factor, but then we decided to make it an essential one," KSACS project director and special secretary, health, Usha Titus told TOI.
The Times of India
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Now, insurance cover for HIV+ in Karnataka
BANGALORE: The number of people living with HIV in India runs into the millions. Yet, insurance companies have largely ignored them, till now.
On Wednesday, a group health insurance plan was launched for 250 HIV-affected people, the first of its kind. The scheme is supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under Project Connect, a programme designed to build public-private partnership to combat HIV and tuberculosis in India.
Population Services International (PSI), an NGO, in partnership with Star Health and Allied Insurance Company and the Karnataka Network for Positive People (KNP+) launched the scheme.
The policy, not available to individuals, will be given to a group of about 300. In Karnataka, the policy has been given to 250 applicants from six districts - Bellary, Mangalore, Mandya, Udupi, Kolar and Mysore.
The Times of India -
New strain of HIV detected in Manipur but alarm bells don’t ring yet
IMPHAL Aug. 16: The National AIDS research Institute (Nari) has detected a new HIV hybrid strain in blood samples taken from HIV-positive residents of Manipur but authorities don't seem to have sat up.
The blood samples have tested positive for the HIV-1 B/C recombinant strain - a combination of of B and C strain of the virus. The strain, which resembles that prevalent in Thailand, is believed to have been acquired through cross-border sex tourism at Moreh-Tamu junction on the Indo-Myanmar border and fingers are being pointed at traders who frequent Thailand.
Experts are viewing the identification of a new strain very seriously as known methods of combating the HIV virus may now have to undergo a sea change.
Dr Priyo, in charge of anti-retroviral treatment (ART) at JN Hospital in Manipur told The Statesman: "A new strain is always worrisome. Apart from HIV 1, HIV-2 strain is also found in patients here. The HIV-2 strain does not respond to Nevirapine therapy."
Yumnam Rupachandra, for The Statesman -
Ostracised Indian AIDS victim dies
Nava Pradhan (named changed), the 42-year-old HIV-infected grade-four staff of a nationalised bank at Kendrapara in Indian coastal state Orissa, died at his home on Tuesday. He was pushed into a state of deep agony and distress from where there was no return.
Nava, who was ostracised in his village, was also subjected to discriminating treatment by the bank authorities.
He was first asked to go on a long leave and was never allowed to report on duty. Under such circumstances, he was forced to stay back home without a job.
Nava had moved the National Human Rights Commission and Orissa Human Rights Commission against the injustice meted out to him by the bank.
Akhand, for WordPress.com
© 2008 Wake Up Pune.
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