Cops clueless about helping PLHIV

NAGPUR: Sitabuldi police have little idea how to better the lot of the widow and her eight-year-old daughter, both HIV positive, currently sheltered at a guest house of an NGO near Maharajbaugh.

Soumittra S Bose, for Times of India.

Nearly 1000 people die of TB in India every day

New Delhi: Nearly a 1000 people die of Tuberculosis in India every day which is more than the number of deaths caused by Malaria, HIV and Hepatitis combined.

Ginny Narula for IBN Live.

The painted girls

Vishwas Kulkarni meets with a troupe of prostitutes, who may not be auditioned for a Chandni Bar, but have a growing fan base for their dramatics nonetheless...

Vishwas Kulkarni, for Mumbai Mirror.

Soon, law to protect HIV+ patients from bias

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: Denying patients suffering from HIV their right to work and any discrimination in their treatment could soon lead to jail terms.

The health ministry plans to table in the long-awaited AIDS anti-discrimination bill in the coming monsoon session of Parliament. The Bill seeks to prohibit any social or financial discrimination against those affected by the virus.

From Times of India.

Nuns thrashed at AIDS awareness meet in Alibaug

Alibaug: A women’s gathering, organised in this coastal town on Saturday to spread AIDS awareness among adivasis, turned into a nightmare for two nuns from an NGO. Sister Mercy Tuscano and Sister Philomena D’Mello were assaulted by a mob of around 50 followers of a spiritual leader. The reason: the nuns were allegedly converting the adivasis to Christianity.

Archana Sharma for TNN

NACO stops funding for 438 NGOs for poor anti-AIDS performance

NEW DELHI: National AIDS Control Organisation has discontinued funding for as many as 438 NGOs after their performance in AIDS prevention programme was not found to be satisfactory.

PTI, from Economic Times.

Ignou to launch HIV study programmes

NEW DELHI: The Indira Gandhi National Open University is going to launch several courses and formal study programmes on social work and HIV/AIDS, masters in social work (MSW) from July 2008. Besides, a PG diploma in social work may also be launched from January 2009.

From Times of India.

Aware of HIV but few in rural areas go for tests

Pune, February 10: Even though India is among the nations having the highest number of AIDS cases in the world, very few women in its rural backyard go for an Elisa test during pregnancy to detect the deadly HIV virus. In fact, very few women are even aware of the existence of voluntary counselling and testing facilities, despite a Government policy to expand ante-natal HIV screening and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV virus.

From Indian Express.

“Women can nullify marriage if husband affected with AIDS”

New Delhi: If an AIDS affected person marries while concealing his disease, his wife shall have full right to get her Nikah annulled, declared Islamic Fiqh Academy (IFA).

By TwoCircles.net staff reporter. Original story here.