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India’s approach on HIV/AIDS policy and programmes: The big questions

The Centre for Communication and Development Studies, Pune, and Lawyers Collective HIV/AIDS Unit, Mumbai, invite you to a discussion of important questions related to India's HIV/AIDS policy and programmes. These are questions that need more public debate:

• Is HIV a major public health problem or does it get too much attention?
• Will the National AIDS Control Programme III make a difference?
• Where does the money for AIDS programmes come from, and how is it spent?
• Are NGO programmes and government policy at loggerheads?
• How have things changed for HIV-positive people in the last 22 years?
• What are the experiences of people seeking treatment for AIDS?
• What is the government doing to ensure access to new drugs?
• What is happening to the HIV/AIDS Bill?

Date: Saturday, June 21, 2008
Venue: YWCA International Guesthouse, Opposite Regal Cinema, Colaba, Mumbai.
Time: 10 am to 5 pm

Speakers

Dr Kamakshi Bhate, department of preventive and social medicine, KEM hospital, Mumbai
Dr R Gangakhedkar, deputy director, National AIDS Research Institute (NARI), Pune
Prof Ramesh Bhat, dean, school of business management, NMIMS University, Mumbai
Ms Meena Seshu, general secretary, Sangram, Sangli
Mr Ashok Row Kavi, chairperson, Humsafar, Mumbai
Dr Eldred Tellis, director, Sankalp, Mumbai
Dr Alaka Deshpande, department of medicine, JJ Hospital, Mumbai
Mr K Gopakumar, Centre for Trade and Development, New Delhi
Mr KK Abraham, Indian Network of Positive People, Chennai
Mr Naresh Yadav, UP Network of Positive People, Lucknow
Ms Ujwala Kadam, Soudamini Network of Positive People, Pune
Ms Daksha Patel, Gujarat Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS, Surat
Ms Kalpana Gaikwad, Lawyers Collective HIV/AIDS Unit

India to roll out oral substitution therapy to reduce risk of HIV transmission

NEW DELHI: A single pill taken every day for nine months will now help the country's intravenous drug users (IDUs) kick the habit.

India has finally decided to roll out the ambitious Oral Substitution Therapy (OST) from September, to reduce the risk of HIV transmission among the country’s highly vulnerable IDU community.

The National AIDS Control Board, headed by health secretary Naresh Dayal, has sanctioned Rs 136 crore for the OST programme, which hopes to cover 40,000 IDUs by 2012.

Under the programme, substance abusers will keep an oral pill of Bupernorphin under their tongue for five minutes every day in front of a supervising doctor. This will cut their desire for addiction.

Kounteya Sinha, for Times of India.

Vast distances a barrier to combating HIV/AIDS in India

New Delhi, June 3: Vast distances are a major hurdle to India's efforts to curb its soaring HIV rate.

India, which has the world's third largest HIV-positive caseload, gives drugs for free to HIV/AIDS patients. But doctors say this is not enough to stop the spread of HIV which is making inroads in rural India, especially among women infected by itinerant husbands, and also children.

For three days a month, Sambit squeezes into a crowded and often filthy train for a three hour journey to Delhi to receive HIV treatment.

"There's no seat and I am very weak," said the 30-year-old former tailor, who asked that his full name not be revealed. He can't afford lodging in Delhi and can barely afford the train tickets. "I need to borrow money from my family for all these trips," he said.

Many patients in the same position simply give up treatment, an anathema in HIV therapy as it gives rise to drug resistance. These patients may then need more powerful second line treatment, which is not freely available in India.

Reuters, for Indian Express.

NEW! Resource Collection of Free Materials on HIV/AIDS and Women

Desperate acts by Goa’s HIV+

PANAJI: The tragedy is not that they are dying, but that they want to die so that they can live. Already living desultory lives, shunned by society and suffering terribly, many HIV positive individuals are prepared to get sicker, and all for just a thousand rupees.

Since the state finance minister announced Rs 1000 a month to those put on antiretroviral treatment (ART), HIV positive persons are looking at this financial bonanza as a way out of their financial straits.

Preetu Nair, for Times of India.

Govt to club AIDS, TB-control drives

NEW DELHI: Tuberculosis is the biggest killer of HIV patients in India. According to the National AIDS Control Organisation (Naco), over 60% of HIV patients contract and ultimately die of TB.

Faced with this double blow, India has now integrated the national AIDS and TB control programmes and is all set to launch a unique package under which all patients diagnosed with TB will be offered free HIV testing in the country's 4,567 Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres (ICTC).

Kounteya Sinha for Times of India.

“Women’s empowerment key to ending AIDS epidemic”: Q + A with Dr Geeta Rao Gupta

Dr Geeta Rao Gupta, president, International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), who addressed a conference on AIDS in Delhi, tells Business Standard that work on AIDS does not limit work on women.

From Business Standard.

Soon, pvt nursing homes may open doors to HIV positive pregnant women

Mumbai, June 11 - Doctors and nurses will be trained to adminster drug nevirapine to minimise chances of mother-to-child transmission

If everything goes according to plan, private nursing homes and maternity homes will soon open their doors to HIV-positive pregnant women.

The Mumbai District Aids Control Society (MDACS) and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) are kickstarting efforts to identify and motivate private nursing homes to conduct such deliveries, in an attempt to prevent mother-to-child transmission wherever possible.

Jinal Shah, from Indian Express.