Re: Yale receives $2,100,000 for AIDS research in India

[Guest guest]

Dear Sir/madam,

Strategies fro Aids prevention appear totally sex-centric so far.

There other means and interventions by which AIDS prevention can be

helped. Such as eliminating the use of plastic syringes. Unsafe sex

practices in African countries have come down but the incidence of

AIDS have gone up as per a WHO report, clearly indicating that

reuse of plastic syringes could be one of the major contributors. I

fel some of this money could be used to research in the field of

use of glass syringes with proper sterilization as a comparative

study.

Dr LK Verma

E-mail: " <vermalk@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear friends,

It is glad news that funds are still flowing into the HIV field in India.

But as a clinician working with sick PLWHAs, i cannot sometimes understand why so little is ear-marked for these "sufferers", while there is a lot better we can do for them. Is it atleast possible that some body can think of some funding for infrastructure development of hospitals caring for PLWHAs, if not more drugs for them?

Can't we think of better hospital beds, wards of at least the quality of some society offices or VCTCs or STD clinics set up recently. If we want every hospital in this big country to take care of all HIV infected, let there be a good beginning in some places. (outside the metros.)

Dr. R. Sajith Kumar, MD E-mail: rsajith@...

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

[Three messages are combined. Moderator]

1) Who is deciding our research and treatment priorities?

Dr. Ajith

2) Access to treatment is a criticical component of care of PLHA's

Maulik

3) Why Manipur and Nagaland is not included for the research study?.

phine

______________________

1) Who is deciding our research and treatment priorities?

Dr. Ajith

Yes Dr sajithKumar. I agree with you. But Who desided our priorities in HIV

/AIDS? Including research. Did we ever try to prioratise our research or

treatment needs?

What we were doing was to use the money we received for programs detacted by

funding agencies.We kept saying treatment is not possible / feasible till

external agencies were pushing for that. People like you were still treating

patients and proved we can do it even with out support....

Dr. Ajith

E-mail: <trc_ajisudha@...>

________________________________________

2) Access to treatment is a criticical component of care of PLHA's

Maulik

It is a very valuable suggestion from Dr Sajit Kumar, every one knows that

access of treatment is critical for PLHA, which I don't mean ARV, but access to

basic medical need which can have more sustainiable impact in the life of PLHA.

Also would like to add that, apart from giving access to treatment priority,

equal access needs to be laid on other human development variables in context of

PLHA.

Access to treatment is a criticical component of care of PLHA's , but if it is

not complemented with other services like food, shelter, empolyment i really

doubt how sustainable impact access to treatment can have.

Regards

Maulik

E-mail: <maulikrdchokshi@...>

_______________________________________

3) Why Manipur and Nagaland is not included for the research study?.

phine

Dear Forum,

It sure is good news that there are funds allotted for researches aimed

to guide and strengthen better intervention programmes, but it is not good

news that Manipur and Nagaland is not included for the research study.

Here, I presume the logical response is, the study in the four high

prevalence states is enough to represent Nagaland and Manipur as well.

Which means the final report will have lots of token mentioned of the

two states, drawn from secondary data, so that the document is presented as

inclusive.

The issue here is not only about ' represented' or 'not represented',

it is also about ISOLATION of the two states when it come to opportunities

to participate- in this case, participating in the proposed research.

Why Nagaland and Manipur need to be included as part of the research

study ?, it is basically because the 2 states have a different context

altogether - be it social, cultural, economic, political and normative factors.

One simple example is the situation of CONFLICT that has been an ongoing

phenomenon that impacts the overall context of HIV/AIDS scenario. In

this case how is this research expected to draw up a comprehensive WAY

FORWARD without assessing Drug use and HIV/AIDS within a 'Conflict situation' ?

Thanks

phine

E-mail: <Jzu@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

I agree with Dr. Sajith Kumar's mail regarding services to people living with

HIV/AIDS in India. I hear that there are crores spent on HIV/AIDS in India.

But still I don't see expected changes.

Best wishes

Celina

e-MAIL: <dcostacelina@...>