Re: Maharashtra set for mandatory HIV testing

An excellent response to the recent story about mandatory HIV testing in Maharashtra can be found here.

Reprinted courtesy of Aditi Chowdhary, with thanks to Lawyers Collective.

Landmark meeting for National HIV/AIDS Bill in India

New Delhi, 15 February 2008. The HIV/AIDS Bill was discussed in a landmark national meeting with PLHA network leaders from various states in India, representatives from major funding agencies, human rights organizations, NGOs and the drafter of the bill, the Lawyers Collective. Sri J.D. Seelam, Honorable Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) attended a session of the meeting.

[Source: AIDS-INDIA eFORUM]

No sex education please, they are just adolescents

Kolkata, February 4 A 10-member parliamentary committee headed by former BJP chief Venkaiah Naidu is currently visiting city schools to assess the Adolescence Education Programme — sex education as it is euphemistically called — introduced in the state.

From Indian Express.

Breaking the silence

The Red Ribbon Express spreads the message of HIV awareness, prevention, countering stigma and life after HIV around the countryside.

The train is painted a cheerful sunshine yellow with a hint of blue and red. The tagline says “Uniting India Against AIDS. Zindagi Zindabad”.

From The Hindu.

If I were FM, I would bring universal healthcare scheme

Loon Gangte is president of the Delhi Network of Positive People (DNP+), an organization of HIV/AIDS-affected people in Delhi that takes up issues that impact access to affordable treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS.

From www.livemint.com.

INC gets $33m world funding to fight AIDS

The Indian Nursing Council (INC) will soon get $33 million from the Global Fund to impart focussed training to one lakh nurses in the treatment of HIV/AIDS affected patients in the country.

From Deccan Herald.

HIV on the rise among gays

Prevalence of the disease highest in larger cities, rural areas also catching up fast

NEW DELHI: With gay sex on a steady rise in big cities, the HIV-infected population too is growing fast. Almost 11.5% of the estimated 50 million gay population in India was infected by the deadly virus, with men in Pune and Bangalore being its biggest victims.

P Vineeta, from DNA

South India is not faring any better

Mumbai: It's not just the Mumbai-based NGOs that are getting the stick. Several groups in South India, which aim  to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS, are facing flak for not practising what they preach.

Source: DNA, reprinted at Indiainfo

Wake Up Pune @ I2IT

Wake up Pune set up camp for two eye opening fun-filled days at the International Institute of Information Technology (I2IT) campus, becoming a focus event at the Dhruva 2008 talent festival.



Full report