Archive for the ‘News’ Category
-
Queen of hills in HIV grip
New Delhi, July 28: Darjeeling, known as the queen of the hills, has emerged as a new HIV hotspot with two persons infected in every 100, according to the latest snapshot of Indias HIV epidemic from the National AIDS Control Organisation (Naco).
The northern Bengal district is among nine across India newly identified by Naco as emerging hotspots with HIV prevalence rates of more than 1 per cent - a cut-off public health experts say indicates that the infection is spreading from high-risk groups into the general population.
"Nine new districts (with a prevalence of over 1 per cent) have popped up," Naco director-general Kanuru Sujatha Rao said today. Patna, Banka and Sitamarhi in Bihar, Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Deogarh (Orissa), Kasargod (Kerala), Amreli (Gujarat), and Jangir-Champa in Chhattisgarh are the other additions to the club of 87 such high-burden districts.
G.S. Mudur, for The Telegraph -
AIDS widows honoured for fighting it out
MUMBAI: Widowed by AIDS, deserted by relatives and fired from her job after she was diagnosed as HIV positive, 40-year-old Reshma Koregaonkar (name changed) from Mangalwadi slum in Santa Cruz has had it tougher in life than most others. However, the mother of two, whose husband died of AIDS in 1996, hasn't been cowed down.
Soldiering on and diligently following her doctors' advice, she hopes for a brighter future someday.
"I look after myself now. I have to keep going, at least for my daughters' sake,'' she says. Koregaonkar has taken up a new job and is the sole breadwinner for her family.
Times of India -
Sex Trade Curbs in India Will Increase Violence, Exploitation and HIV/AIDS Rate
A top HIV/AIDS Indian official and a Cabinet minister on Monday strongly criticized the Central government's plan to punish clients visiting sex workers in a move to curb prostitution. The Bill to amend the Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act (ITPA) was moved in Parliament in 2006 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development headed by Renuka Chowdhury.
Director general of National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) K Sujatha Rao and Labor and Employment minister Oscar Fernandes said the amendments proposing to put clients of sex workers behind bars and imposing a fine of up to Rs 50,000 for those visiting brothels, would in no way curb the sex trade but only push it underground. That, in turn would make it more difficult to track down sex workers, who are most vulnerable to contracting the HIV/AIDS virus.
MedIndia.com
-
Trends in HIV incidence in India from 2000 to 2007
India's HIV epidemic is of global interest. 2 years ago, we showed that HIV prevalence in young women declined by about a third between and 2004 in the southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu.1 HIV prevalence at young ages (15-24 years) is a useful proxy for trends in HIV incidence. We now present trends up to 2007.
Among 423 842 women aged 15-24 years tested nationally at antenatal clinics, prevalence declined by 54% (95% CI −45 to −63; p<0.0001) between 2000 and 2007 in south India, and there was no significant change in north India (3%, −47 to 53; p=0.73) where HIV is less prevalent (figure).
National Center for Biotechnology Information -
Post-exposure prophylaxis
There is a lack of standardized programs for HIV counselling and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) in the setting of sexual assault. Loutfy and associates conducted an 18-month prospective cohort study assessing universal HIV counselling for all sexual assault survivors presenting to 18 Ontario Sexual Assault Treatment Centres. HIV PEP was universally offered to those at risk of HIV infection (high risk or unknown risk) presenting < or =72 h after the assault, using Combivir (Lamivudine/Zidovudine) one pill and Kaletra (Lopinavir/Ritonavir) three capsules twice a day for 28 days. Those who accepted HIV PEP were monitored via a schedule of frequent follow ups. The primary outcomes were acceptance and completion rates, and their predictors were determined using multivariable logistic regression. Adverse events were categorized using a standardized toxicity grading system. Of the 900 evaluable participants eligible for PEP, 798 (69 at high risk and 729 at unknown risk) were offered treatment. Acceptance rates were 66.7% (n=46) and 41.3% (n=301) for participants at high risk and unknown risk, respectively. Participants at high risk were 2.2 times more likely to accept PEP than those at unknown risk (adjusted odds ratio 2.2; 95% confidence interval 1.2-4.0; P=0.01). Overall, 23.9% high-risk (n=11) and 33.2% unknown-risk participants (n=100) completed PEP (P=0.20). Predictors of acceptance and completion included assault by a stranger and participant anxiety. Adverse events were common, with 77.1% of participants reporting grade 2-4 symptoms. A province-wide standardized program of universal HIV counselling and offering of PEP to sexual assault survivors with frequent follow up was successfully implemented and feasible.
UNAIDS, HIV this week -
City’s HIV positive youths get a forum
Mumbai, July 16 Network of Positive people in Mumbai will provide emergency medical care, need-based advocacy
As the name suggests, its a positive step that will go a long way in enabling the citys HIV positive people fight the stigma and get emergency medical care. The Network of Positive people in Mumbai (NPM), a first such forum in the state, was launched by a group of 16 HIV positive youths, aged between 18 and 25 years, on July 11.
"A few months back, an HIV positive man suffered a severe paralytic attack. There was no one from his family to take him to the hospital. A few neighbours took him to the hospital but as soon as his status was revealed, they deserted him," said Bharti Sonanwane, president of the NPM.
"It was then that we realised that it is very important that someone should take up the responsibility of providing emergency healthcare services to people suffering from HIV. The forum will help those who need hospitalisation, an will take care of the admission formalities and other basic requirements," said Anand Ishware, the project manager.
Jinal Shah, for ExpressIndia.com -
Grim reality: A survey of sex workers
These are shocking statistics that belie the close to 10% growth rate of the national economy and tell the story of a community that isn't. As per the law.
More than 41% women sex workers in the Capital's GB Road enter the profession because of sheer poverty, 39% of their own free will. Only 50% use condoms and the social welfare department says despite their best efforts health and hygiene standards cannot be improved too much beyond the occasional anonymous checks by mobile vans as the law does not recognise the existence of these women.
All the anti-trafficking laws notwithstanding, almost the entire population of GB Road comprises women, who have come from other states, Andhra Pradesh topping the list with 28.7% sex workers hailing from that state. These are the findings of a first-of-its-kind survey of Delhi's sex workers done by the Delhi Commission for Women.
The study - 400 commercial sex workers from G B Road were studied and inputs were also taken from the rescued women in government homes even if their numbers were not included in the sample size - aimed at a need assessment of Delhi's sex workers and their children and also to draw up a demographic and health profile of the neglected community in order to draw up a comprehensive policy for prevention of trafficking and incidence of HIV-AIDS.
The study found that the work is mainly conducted through the kotha malkins who pockets a large percentage of the income so that for an average sex worker the monthly income is quite low, 72.5% earn between Rs 3,000-5,000 and 20.7% earn more than Rs 5,000.
State social welfare minister Yoganand Shastri said: "The study which is the first of its kind, will help us get a perspective on the extent of the problem and formulate policies accordingly. But there are inherent dichotomies in the system that make things difficult.
Abantika Ghosh, for The Times of India
-
HIV positive woman ostracised in WB
KOLAGHAT (WB): A 30-year old woman and her family have been ostracised by residents of her village near Kolaghat after she tested HIV positive.
Tuku Singh, the mother of a seven-year-old daughter, was diagnosed to have been affected three months ago and underwent treatment for about two-and-half months at the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital.
She returned home to her parents at Mahish Gate near the Kolaghat Thermal Power station on June 30 and was socially boycotted by the villagers, the family said.
The Times of India -
Senate passes $48B global AIDS relief bill
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate has approved spending $48 billion over the next five years to treat and prevent the spread of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Africa and elsewhere around the world.
The legislation more than triples the current $15 billion program that has brought lifesaving drugs to some 1.7 million people with HIV/AIDS.
The bill passed by a vote of 80-16. That sets up negotiations with the House on a final compromise. President Bush has been a strong advocate for the global AIDS program.
Jim Abrams, for The Associated Press
© 2008 Wake Up Pune.
Articles are copyright of their respective authors.
'Paragrams' by WPSHOWER
