Archive for the ‘News’ Category
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Action against corrupt AIDS officials
BANGALORE: The state government is awaiting a report from the CBI, after which it will take action against officials of the Karnataka AIDS Prevention Society and 14 NGOs. They are facing charges of corruption.
The Society has also been accused of violating guidelines related to Public Private Partnership in NGOs. The World Bank had expressed its dissatisfaction over this.
Out of 23 NGOs engaged in AIDS control programme in Karnataka, 14 NGOs were put under the scanner due to their conduct. The Society gets grants from the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO).
Times of India -
India Learns from Uganda: New AIDS Strategy to Focus on Abstinence, Fidelity
NEW DELHI, July 31, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - One of the only national programs ever to effectively combat HIV/AIDS was the Ugandan ABC program, which focused on abstinence and being faithful to one partner. Now the Indian national AIDS committee is adopting this same approach in their effort to curb HIV/AIDS rates.
A spokesperson for India's National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) told the media yesterday that sex-education taught to students will focus on abstinence and fidelity, not condoms and 'safer sex.'
This announcement came after a meeting involving officials from NCERT and the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), who, under the guidance of director-general Sujatha Rao, have advocated fighting AIDS with values, not condoms.
Tim Waggoner, for LifeSitenews.com -
Faulty Swiss Commission advice on HIV misleading
LONDON: Researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have warned that infection with HIV could be four times higher in certain populations if people with HIV follow potentially misleading advice contained in a statement from the Swiss Federal Commission for HIV/AIDS.
According to experts from the Swiss Federal Commission for HIV/AIDS, people with HIV receiving effective antiretroviral treatment can''t transmit the virus to their HIV-negative partner through sexual contact.
Now, the new study, conducted by UNSW''s National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research (NCHECR), has cast a doubt on these conclusions.
NewIndPress.com
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What’s wrong with ITPA Amendments?
Contrary to perceptions that Amendments to the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 is a protective legislation, the Bill flouts women's rights and does little to support survivors of trafficking. Besides threatening HIV prevention, the Bill remains deficient on several other counts. The Lawyers Collective HIV/AIDS Unit submits the following critique.
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Shri Manmohan Singh
Honb'le Prime Minister of India
7, Race Course Road, New Delhi
Honb'le Prime Minister,
We draw your urgent attention to Official Amendments to the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2006 ("ITPA"), which are due for Cabinet approval in the coming days. Proposed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) in response to Recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee and subsequent deliberations by a Group of Ministers (GoM), the revised Amendments fail to address concerns raised time and again over the amending sections.
Despite consideration, the ITPA Amendment Bill remains flawed on many counts:
Lawyer's Collective -
Separate classes for boys and girls on sex education?
NEW DELHI: Co-educational schools may soon have an all-girls and an all-boys class once a week.
This special 30-minute session will discuss sexually transmitted infections and HIV and forms part of the recommendations made by India's first official sex education manual, which is now open for public scrutiny.
While male teachers will teach the boys, girls will be enlightened by lady teachers about how HIV is spread, what are the precautions one can take, is abstinence a good option to save yourself from the virus and what are the symptoms of a sexual transmitted infection.
Koutenya Sinha, for TNN -
AIDS: Importance of nutrition confirmed
In what may be the biggest study ever conducted in India, the Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society (TANSACS) has found conclusive evidence that providing micro and macronutrients to people living with HIV/AIDS greatly improves their health and quality of life.
The 18-month study undertaken in association with Duke University was started in September 2005 in the State. It was undertaken in three centres, covering 10 districts, that provide anti-retroviral therapy (ART).
It involved the supply of both micro and macronutrients to people, both adults and children, who were on ART as well as those who did not require it. The objective was to study how nutritional supplementation helped in improving the subjects health, which in turn improved the socio-economic parameters.
Macronutrient supplements (calories, protein, carbohydrate, fat and fibre) were provided to 10,780 people and micronutrient supplements (Vitamin A, B, C and folic acid, to name a few) in the form of tablets to 11,109.
The results are quite startling.
R. Prasad, for The Hindu -
Spread of HIV/Aids slows as awareness and drugs take hold
The HIV/Aids epidemic appears to be slowing, as evidence emerges of more cautious sexual behaviour and improved treatment in some of the worst-hit countries of the world, according to a new UN study.
Signs that work on preventing the spread of HIV is bearing fruit are flagged up today by UNAids' two-yearly report on the state of the epidemic.
In Rwanda and Zimbabwe, it finds, fewer people appear to be getting infected, apparently as the dangers of careless sex become better understood.
Sarah Boseley, for The Guardian -
No safe sex, condoms in books
In a country where 16 per cent of pregnancies include teenage girls and where sex education is still considered as a "taboo" to be mentioned in school curriculum, experts have decided to play it safe this time by deleting words like "condom" and "safe sex" from textbooks on the issue. Instead, it will be through "faithful to one's partner" and "abstinence" that students will be educated on the issue of sex education. And there will be not many illustrations and drawings on the issue in the new curriculum.
The revised module by National Aids Control Organisation (Naco) will have no mention of condom or safe sex on life-skill education programme and will focus on aspirations of youngsters. To achieve this, Naco is holding a meeting with NCERT to chalk out a revised syllabus, dealing with sex education. After meeting with NCERT, secretaries of all states will be consulted, followed with consultations with teachers and parents.
The Asian Age -
HIV/AIDS tragedy likely in northern states: NACO
Asking north Indian states not to wait till the number of HIV/AIDS cases rise for taking preventive measures, the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) on Monday said respective governments in the region should take up proactive steps to control the epidemic or face a tragedy.
NACO Director General Sujatha Rao said many of the northern states, including Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, were "not paying attention" to the organisation and warned that they were going towards a tragic end.
"We keep reminding the northern states which have a low prevalence rate that they should not wait for the numbers to rise to take steps to control it. We keep reminding them that they should not go the tragic way," Rao said.
The Financial Express
© 2008 Wake Up Pune.
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