Nari, Yale to study AIDS stigma in India

September 1, 2002

TIMES NEWS NETWORK [ TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2002 11:40:24 PM ]

PUNE: Hospitals, doctors and nurses denying treatment to AIDS patients

is not an uncommon occurrence in Pune and elsewhere in India.

This stigma associated with treating Aids patients in hospitals in the

country is now the subject of a collaborative research between Yale

University and the National Aids Research Institute (Nari), Pimpri.

The study titled, ?Understanding HIV-relevant stigma in India?,

undertaken by the Indian Council of Medical Research?s (ICMR), Nari,

and Yale University?s Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Aids

(Cira), aims at investigating into the beliefs and values about

HIV-related stigma in hospital settings, and how it affects the treatment.

During the year-long study, researchers plan to interview patients and

healthcare providers in hospitals.

While Nari on Tuesday issued media advertisements seeking applications

for research officers and assistants for the project, officer incharge

Dr Ramesh Paranjape declined to comment on the project when approached

by TNN.

However, sources in the ICMR said the project would also dwell into

the creation of quantitative measures to lessen unconscious biases and

preferences among medicos towards treatment of HIV-positive

individuals, besides involving health care providers towards

developing a positive approach while dealing with such cases.

?Three public hospitals, including the Sassoon general hospital in the

city, have been identified as research sites,? the sources said,

adding that primary data collection would begin from next month.

Pune was selected for the project because of its increasing infection

rate besides the availability of trained personnel for research

activities.

The sources said the project assumes significance in the country in

the backdrop of a rapid increase in the number of HIV cases in India.

?It?s no longer restricted to high risk groups,? they said.

According to the information available on the Cira website, the impact

of HIV/Aids-related stigma as a catalyst in the spread of the

epidemic, especially in India, has yet to be fully understood.

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