Chandigarh shows the way in HIV care

Chandigarh, Sep 1: A person wanting to know about his or her HIV status, can simply walk into anyone of Chandigarh's four Integrated Control and Testing Centres (ICTC) and gather information, or to remove misconceptions about the disease.

A mobile testing centre, also run by the SACS, visits to places to spread awareness about ways to combat the disease.

Puja's support group also conducts novel awareness drives in high-risk areas.

The Central Government is finalising a legislation to protect HIV/AIDS victims against discrimination in schools, offices and hospitals.read more

HIV drug may harbour cancer cure

London, Sept. 1: An antiretroviral drug used in the treatment of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is also capable of slowing down the growth of cancer cells, say scientists.

The researchers used six approved HIV drugs in their experiments. They found that three of the drugs significantly slowed the growth of the tumour cells, and increased cell death.

Nelfinavir was found to be the most effective of the three drugs.read more

AIDS needs more attention in Yemen

Dr. Jamil al-Mughales works in Saudi Arabia, but he still tries to help his home country, Yemen.
Yemen is still greatly lacking in AIDS education, and the facilities needed to treat patients, said Dr. Jamil Abdul-Wali Raweh al-Mughales, the Head of Clinical Immunology Services in the Immunology Department of the medical center at the King Abdulaziz University hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. While the disease has not reached epidemic proportions in this country, care must be taken now to prevent the spread of the disease.

Unfortunately, the problem of AIDS does not receive enough support in Yemen, though it has become a very important issue in this country. There are more than 300,000 immigrants from Africa, adding a dangerous burden to the main problem of AIDS in Yemen. Moreover, as you know, the health system in Yemen is not really strong enough to support the AIDS strategies in such a country.read more

Network of HIV affected and NGOs

MADURAI: With a view to get the exact figures of HIV infected people, Madurai District Administration would soon form a network of the affected persons and the organisations working for them.

District Collector S S Jawahar said that such a network would also help the administration to extend all the help needed to the affected people.

It was also necessary to provide sex-education to adolescent students, he saidread more

Anti-AIDS blitz sees pharma firms locked in ugly battle

NEW DELHI: It’s a potent cocktail of rivalries involving pharma companies and NGOs. It has now emerged that Aids Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the US-based NGO that accused Cipla of over pricing anti-AIDS drug, Viraday, in India is part funded by American anti-AIDS drug maker Gilead and the NGO’s treasurer is a senior Gilead executive.

This is largely the reason why foreign and Indian NGOs such as Medicine Sans Frontier (MSF), Delhi Network of Positive People (DNP+), Indian Network of Positive People (INP+), Sahara and others refused to be part of AHF’s anti-Cipla campaign.

Cipla had refused Gilead’s offer to sell the latter’s anti-AIDS drug Viread under a licensing agreement. Cipla is also the only Indian company opposing Gilead’s patent application for its blockbuster anti-HIV drug Viread in India. The hearing for the patent case of Viread is due in October.
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NEWS WATCH: Prince Calls UK's Diana Worlds' "Best Mother" On 10th Anniversary Of Her Death

LONDON, UK (BosNewsLife)-- Britain's Prince Harry described princess Diana as "the best mother in the world" Friday, August 31, during an emotionally charged memorial service address marking the 10th anniversary of her death.
In April 1987, Diana was one of the first high-profile celebrities to be photographed touching a person infected with the AIDS virus, HIV, a move seen as helping to change perceptions about the disease.

“In 1987, when so many still believed that AIDS could be contracted through casual contact, Princess Diana sat on the sickbed of a man with AIDS and held his hand," said former US President Bill Clinton in 2001 at the 'Diana, Princess of Wales Lecture on AIDS.' "She showed the world that people with AIDS deserve no isolation, but compassion and kindness. It helped change world's opinion, and gave hope to people with AIDS," Clinton said at the time.

Prince Harry said that, "behind the media glare, to us - just two loving children - she was quite simply the best mother in the world."
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Nagaland plans all-faith talks

Kohima, Aug. 31: Determined to eradicate AIDS from Nagaland, Naga Church leaders and NGOs are holding talks on a roadmap for an integrated approach to proper care of HIV/AIDS-affected people.

Churches will also hold inter-faith dialogue to carry out a follow-up programme. The prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS in Nagaland is 1.63 per cent.

The Development Association of Nagaland of the Catholic Church and the Nagaland Development Organisation of the Baptist Church have decided to initiate dialogue with members of other faiths. According to them, AIDS claims more lives than any other disease in the world and a concerted effort is needed to save the people of Nagaland from the incurable disease. read more