Archive for the ‘News’ Category
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Indian Church shares experience at global AIDS meet
NEW DELHI (ICNS): Indian Church representatives attending the international AIDS conference have show-cased their work in India as a global example for fighting the dreaded disease.
The Aug.3-8 International AIDS Conference in Mexico city has several Indian representatives including Archbishop Bernard Moras, chairperson of Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) Commission for Health and Father Alex Vadakumathala, the commission's secretary.
Archbishop Moras, Monsignor Bob Vitillo of Caritas Internationalis and Father Vadakumthala, presented the lessons learned and best practices of the Catholic Church in India.
They highlighted the collaboration with funding agencies, regional health structures and state governments in facilitating access to care and support.
The Indian Catholic
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Gujarat parents try to burn HIV+ son
SURAT: Narendra Dholi, a 17-year-old fisherman from a small fishing village in Valsad's Umbergaon taluka, would have been languishing in a Pakistan jail for years after he was caught in the waters of the neighbouring country earlier this year. But, jail authorities found out that he was HIV positive and promptly shipped him back to India.
However, instead of rejoicing, Narendra regrets his freedom today. In the last two months, he has been ostracised, beaten up on a number of occasions and subjected to harassment by his parents, who consider HIV God's curse on evil souls.
Two days ago, Narendra's father Uttam Dholi tried to set him ablaze by sprinkling kerosene on him when he was sleeping at night. But he woke up just in time and saved himself.
Melvyn Thomas, for TNN -
Dr. Ramadoss addresses delegates at 17th International AIDS Conference in Mexico
"ENABLING ENVIRONMENT THAT CAN ENSURE HIV PREVENTION SERVICES FOR ALL WHO NEED THEM IS KEY TO OVERCOMING THE HIV EPIDEMIC," SAYS HEALTH MINISTER.
"Indias dedicated focus on HIV prevention is fetching dividends. We are seeing the beginning of the stabilization of the HIV epidemic in India," said Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss, Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. He was addressing experts and delegates at the17th International Conference on AIDS in Mexico City. "We must not be complacent, however," he cautioned, stressing that "the key to overcoming the HIV epidemic is to take HIV services to those on the margins of society and we can only do that in an enabling environment."
Indias targeted HIV intervention approach which relies on strong community participation has resulted in larger numbers of people accessing HIV prevention, treatment and care services. Responding to questions from the delegates, the Minister expressed his strong support for the draft legislation on HIV which is currently being whetted by the Law Ministry. "Structural discrimination against those who are vulnerable to HIV such as sex workers and MSM must be removed if our prevention, care and treatment programs are to succeed," he said. "Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalizes Men who have sex with Men, must go."
Press Information Bureau -
HIV testing: India ranked best, Russia worst
The Lancet study compared data from several clinics in each country to calculate the cost-effectiveness and quality of services provided
New Delhi: India topped the list of five mid-income countries that provide free HIV testing and counselling to people, reported the scientific journal 'The Lancet'. The unexpected pat on the back came after a comparison of testing and counselling facilities in India, Russia, Mexico, Uganda and South Africa that showed India's was not only the cheapest but also the most cost-effective. Russia did the worst.
The Lancet study compared data from several clinics in each country to calculate the cost-effectiveness and quality of services provided. "India and Russia represent the two extremes in terms of implementation performance, with the quality of services being similar in almost all centers surveyed in India. The difference between quality in different clinics was the highest in Russia," said lead author Dr. Stefano M. Bertozzi from the National Institute of Public Health, presenting the data at the XVII International AIDS Conference on Tuesday.
India's programme, run by the National AIDS Control Organisation, is also the most cost effective, costing the government US$ 3 (Rs 120) per person. The cost was as high as US$ 1,000 in some centres in Russia.
MSN
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India to Provide Jobs and Food Rations to AIDS Patients
The federal government in India is proposing to offer jobs and food rations to AIDS patients.
The government told the Supreme Court Tuesday that it would offer jobs under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. The act is essentially aimed at guaranteeing unskilled manual jobs for one hundreds in a year for rural households.
Though wages are paltry, still the scheme is hailed as some positive attempt at bettering the lot of the rural poor. Now the government is saying it would extend the scheme to HIV/AIDS-infected too.
Also one lakh people receiving anti-retroviral therapy (ART) at 174 centres across the country, would be treated as belonging to the below poverty line (BPL) category, ensuring them 35 kg of foodgrain every month under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY).
These promises were part of the 19-point proposal submitted to the Supreme Court on Tuesday, by way of affirming the governments commitment to bettering the lives of HIV positive people.
MedIndia.com -
HIV+ve couple poison their 3 kids, commit suicide
Mumbai, Aug 6 (IANS) A couple killed their three children by giving them poison early Wednesday morning and then committed suicide by hanging here after learning that the husband was suffering from AIDS, the police said.
Babu Eeshwar Tevar, who was a distributor for Tamil language films, and his wife Amuri took the extreme step after he was diagnosed with AIDS, Babus brother Arumugam told the police.
Arumugam, who returned home from the night shift, discovered the bodies at Babus home on Goregaon-Mulund Link Road in the northeastern suburb of Mulund, the police said.
SindhToday.net
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International AIDS Conference 2008 Mexico – Day 3
Hi everyone,
So today was Day 3 at the conference and a really good (though thankfully short) day. I had my poster to do today, so after that finished this afternoon I skipped the last sessions of the day to relax! But considering I was there at 6:30am, it felt like a pretty full day. So here's what I did/thought about today:
(1) I went to the early morning satellite session that Hans suggested on ARV Best Practices for IDUs run by the Open Society Institute. I had no idea that OSI was doing this session and found out after the fact that one of my really good friends back in NYC who works for OSI organized it. They are in the process of publishing a book based on the subject of this session (all the presenters have written a chapter), so I will make sure my friend gets that in my hands as soon as it's published (which should be very shortly). The session was really excellent and I left them my business card so they can send me the presenters' PPT slides, but here are the highlights.
- Background: IDUs are often put in the position of choosing between oral substitution therapy (OST) and ART because too often services are not integrated; however, ongoing injection has been found to be associated with non-adherence to ART. In addition, because IDUs generally do not seek out health and social services while using, harm reduction programmes serve an important role as a bridge between hard-to-reach drug using populations and these clinical and support services.
- A one-site model for comprehensive care is ideal. This approach should ideally include: treatment for psychological co-morbidities (depression), management of ART and OI side effects and pain (because IDUs are accutely sensitive to pain and this may push them back into medicating with injectable drugs), adherence counseling (which ideally also includes peers and family, when possible). There is also some suggestion that DOT (directly observed therapy - basically a community health worker administering/observing client taking daily ART) may improve ART adherence with this population, however, the drawbacks to this approach are increased staff time and further stigmatization of the IDU. In particular, programmes should also seek to reach out to women IDUs through reproductive health services, PMTCT, and OST for pregant women. -
Pvt physicians giving wrong medication to HIV patients
MEXICO CITY: Getting treated for HIV from your neighbourhood doctor could be seriously putting your life in danger. A first-of-its kind study, conducted by WHO for Indias National AIDS Control Organisation estimates that nearly 10,000 HIV infected people - being treated by private physicians in India - were following irrational drug combinations and faulty regimens.
This was making them resistant to the first line anti-retroviral (ART) drugs faster than usual. The study, presented at the 17th International AIDS Conference here, made another startling revelation - some Indian pharma companies were delivering the highly toxic ART drugs directly to the homes of HIV patients to overcome the patients reluctance to visit pharmacies, in fear of stigma and discrimination.
The survey, conducted in Delhi and Kolkata over three months from October 2007, also found that more than 1,500 patients being treated by private physicians had already been put on the second line ART. Around 17% of the drugs being recommended by these private practitioners to hapless patients were single ingredient drugs, while the standard international protocol to treat HIV patients is to give them a triple drug combination therapy.
Also, due to high cost of ART drugs, patients purchase them usually for 7-10 days before discontinuing treatment.
Kountenya Sinha, for TNN
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2.5m HIV patients to get NREGS cards
NEW DELHI: For 2.5 million people living with HIV/AIDS, mostly shunned by society, the Centre has decided to play employer by promising to provide them with job cards and employment under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA).
In addition, around one lakh people with HIV, who are receiving anti-retroviral therapy (ART) at 174 centres across the country, would be treated as belonging to the below poverty line (BPL) category, ensuring them 35 kg of foodgrain every month under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY).
These promises were part of the 19-point proposal made public for the first time by the Centre before the Supreme Court on Tuesday to make the lives of HIV positive people a lot better.
Dhananjay Mahapatra, for The Times of India
© 2008 Wake Up Pune.
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