American institutes to help AIDS research in Tamil Nadu

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American institutes to help AIDS research in Tamil Nadu

Indo-Asian News Service. Chennai, June 30

Three American universities will collaborate with a medical

institution in Chennai for AIDS research in Tamil Nadu.

The University of Washington, the National Institute of Health and

the Paediatric AIDS Foundation will sign a memorandum of

understanding to this effect with the MG Ramachandran (MGR) Medical

University in August.

NM , the head of department of experimental medicine at the MGR

medical university, said the study would begin in Namakkal district,

about 500 km south of Chennai.

Mother-to-child transmission of the HIV virus and AIDS would be

studied and cheaper HIV detection tests would be developed, he said.

Methods to stop transmission of the virus during breast-feeding would

also be tried. The project will cost Rs 50 million.

Six students from the Indian university would be trained and given

research opportunity at the University of Washington while six

American students would come to India to take up research in AIDS

care. The exchange would be for periods of three months for each

student.

HindustanTimes.com