Hi to the forum readers from melbourne,

Re: NARI Trial on the Safety of PRO 2000 Vaginal Gel. I was interested in this
read. I am quite concerned about the fact that microbicide research is directed
specifically and almost unilaterally towards protection in a penile vaginal
action.

I was puzzled by the requirement that condoms would also be required by the male
partners. Can someone explain what the Gel is supposed to do if the partner is
using a condom?

As much potential for the spread of HIV occurs in penile anal action and I am
curious about whether this product is suitably non toxic for intra anal use.

Several times I have flagged efforts that people are using to minimise infection
risk with unprotected anal intercourse which suggests that there would be quite
a few candidates for such research.

Is the PRO 200 Gel available for this purpose?

Thanking you

Geoffrey
E-mail: <gheaviside@...>

Dear FORUM,

This is to inform you about some of the latest research talking place
in India. National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) study on "Safety and
Acceptability of PRO 2000 Vaginal Gel in HIV Uninfected Women in
India" is significant. It offers a women controlled HIV prevention option.

According to the Principal investigator of the study Dr. Smita Joshi "
This Phase I safety and acceptability study of 0.5% of PRO 2000
vaginal gel has been completed. The study was done among 42 HIV
un-infected women for the safety of 14 consecutive days of
intra-vaginal use of 0.5% Pro 2000. Overall the product was found safe
for twice daily use for 14 days. The data is still being analysed and
we will be publishing the study results.  Regards"

Joe Thomas
Moderator
AIDS-INDIA e FORUM
____________
The details of the research project on the " Safety and Acceptability
of PRO 2000 Vaginal Gel in HIV Uninfected Women in India"

This study is no longer recruiting patients.

Sponsors and Collaborators:
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Information provided by:
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

Purpose

PRO 2000 Gel is designed to be inserted into the vagina to protect
women from getting HIV during sex. So far, PRO 2000 Gel has been
tested for safety in 136 women from Europe and the United States.
This study will evaluate the safety and acceptability of PRO 2000
Gel when used by women in Pune, India. The study will also examine
what Indian women and men think about using PRO 2000 Gel.

Condition Treatment or Intervention Phase
HIV Infections Drug: PRO 2000/5 Gel (P) Phase I

MedlinePlus related topics: AIDS
Study Type: Interventional
Study Design: Prevention, Non-Randomized, Open Label, Uncontrolled,
Single Group Assignment, Safety Study
Official Title: Phase I Safety and Acceptability Study of the
Investigational Vaginal Microbicide PRO 2000/5 Gel (P)
Further Study Details:


Expected Total Enrollment: 120

Topical microbicides are designed to prevent the sexual transmission
of HIV and other disease pathogens. PRO 2000/5 Gel (P), or PRO 2000,
is a vaginal microbicide that has been evaluated in Phase I safety
trials in Europe and the U.S. PRO 2000 Gel is easily manufactured,
highly stable, and highly water-soluble. The aqueous gel formulation
contains a synthetic carbomer, a lactic acid/lactate buffer, and
preservatives. In vitro, PRO 2000 Gel has been shown to suppress
infection by herpes viruses, Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria
gonorrhoeae, and a wide range of HIV-1 isolates. This study will
evaluate the safety and acceptability of PRO 2000 Gel in HIV
uninfected women in Pune, India. The study is a precursor to a
larger Phase II/III study of PRO 2000 Gel.

Participants in this study will be sexually active HIV uninfected
women at either low or high risk for HIV infection. Male partners of
these women will also be enrolled in the study. Participants will be
asked to apply PRO 2000 Gel twice a day for 14 consecutive days
between menses and to have vaginal intercourse with a single male
partner, using study-provided male condoms, at least twice per week
during the two weeks of PRO 2000 Gel use. Participants will have a
screening visit, an enrollment visit, and 3 study visits during the
two weeks of PRO 2000 Gel use; each visit will last about 1 hour.

Study visits will include a medical history, gynecologic exam, blood
and urine tests, and product acceptability questionnaires.
Colposcopy will be performed three times during the study.

Participants will also be asked to complete a Daily Study Record
about product use and sexual activity and questionnaires about their
willingness to use the product and their perceptions of the product.
Four weeks after using PRO 2000 Gel, participants will be asked to
participate in a focus group to discuss product acceptability.
Participants' male partners will also be asked to participate in
focus groups about product use.

Eligibility
Ages Eligible for Study: 18 Years and above, Genders Eligible for
Study: Both
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Criteria

Inclusion Criteria for All Female Participants:
• Age 18 to 45
• HIV uninfected
• Regular menstrual cycle of at least 21 days or no menstrual cycle
because of long-acting progestin use
• No change in hormonal contraceptive use in the 3 months prior to
study entry
• Agree to use acceptable methods of contraception during the study
• Normal Pap smear at screening or in the 3 months prior to study
entry
• Sexually active with a single male sexual partner who is eligible
for the study
• Agree to abstain from sexual intercourse for 48 hours before the
enrollment visit
• Willing to complete Daily Study Records
• Agree to follow study directions about PRO 2000 Gel use and sexual
activity during the study

Additional Inclusion Criteria for Female Participants at Higher Risk
for HIV Infection:

• Sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the 3 months prior to study
entry
• Current male partner has had an STD in the 3 months prior to study
entry
Inclusion Criteria for Male Partners of Female Participants:
• Age 18 years or older
• HIV uninfected
• No STD symptoms at study entry
• Agree to abstain from sexual intercourse for 48 hours before the
enrollment visit
• Agree to have vaginal intercourse only with partner who is taking
part in the study
• Agree to have vaginal intercourse at least twice a week while in
the study and to use study provided male condoms

Exclusion Criteria for All Female Participants:
• Menopausal
• Breastfeeding
• Used non-therapeutic intravenous drugs within 1 year of study
• Currently pregnant or have been pregnant in the 3 months prior to
study entry
• Serious liver, kidney, or blood abnormalities
• Urinary tract infection as determined by positive urine culture
• Genital abnormality
• History of adverse reaction to anticoagulants
• History of sensitivity or allergy to latex
• Used any spermicide or spermicidally lubricated condom in the week
prior to study entry
• Participated in any investigational drug trial in 30 days prior to
study entry
• Used an intrauterine contraceptive device in the 3 months prior to
study entry
• Abnormal Pap smear in the 3 months prior to study entry
• Gynecological surgery in the 3 months prior to study entry
• Breakthrough menstrual bleeding in the 3 months prior to study
entry
• Vaginal bleeding during or following intercourse in the 3 months
prior to study entry

Additional Exclusion Criteria for Female Participants at Low Risk
for HIV Infection:
• STD or pelvic inflammatory disease in the 3 months prior to study
entry
• Current male partner has had an STD in the 3 months prior to study
entry
• Current male partner has injected non-therapeutic drugs in the 3
months prior to study entry
• Signs on pelvic exam consistent with an STD other than bacterial
vaginosis

Exclusion Criteria for Male Partners of Female Participants
• History of adverse reaction to latex
• Refuse examination or treatment for an STD or STD symptoms

Location Information

Study chairs or principal investigators

Smita N. Joshi, MBBS, Study Chair, National AIDS Research
Institute, Pune, India (Research Officer, Epidemiology,
E-mail address:  <sjoshi@...>


Steven J. Reynolds, MD, FRCP(C), Study Chair, Johns Hopkins
University Department of Medicine


Publications
Morrow K, Rosen R, Richter L, Emans A, Forbes A, Day J, Morar N,
Maslankowski L, Profy AT, Kelly C, Abdool Karim SS, Mayer KH. The
acceptability of an investigational vaginal microbicide, PRO 2000
Gel, among women in a phase I clinical trial. J Womens Health
(Larchmt). 2003 Sep;12(7):655-66.

Tabet SR, Callahan MM, Mauck CK, Gai F, Coletti AS, Profy AT, Moench
TR, Soto-Torres LE, Poindexter III AN, Frezieres RG, Walsh TL, Kelly
CW, Richardson BA, Van Damme L, Celum CL. Safety and Acceptability
of Penile Application of 2 Candidate Topical Microbicides: BufferGel
and PRO 2000 Gel: 3 Randomized Trials in Healthy Low-Risk Men and
HIV-Positive Men. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2003 Aug 1;33(4):476-
483.

Mayer KH, Karim SA, Kelly C, Maslankowski L, Rees H, Profy AT, Day
J, Welch J, Rosenberg Z. Safety and tolerability of vaginal PRO 2000
gel in sexually active HIV-uninfected and abstinent HIV-infected
women. AIDS. 2003 Feb 14;17(3):321-329.

Trager RS. Microbicides. Raising new barriers against HIV infection.
Science. 2003 Jan 3;299(5603):39. No abstract available.

Study ID Numbers: HPTN 047
Record last reviewed: October 2004
Record first received: April 16, 2004
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00081640
Health Authority: United States: Food and Drug Administration
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on 2005-01-19

Dear Friends,

As 2005 gets underway, POZ is planning a very special feature: our
first-ever POZ 100. We want to honor and celebrate 100 individuals
(or, in some cases, groups) around the world in shaping the future
treatment and prevention of HIV. And we need your input to get us
started.

Please take a moment to list those folks who you believe are doing
critical, cutting-edge, even unheralded work in the 5 categories
listed below.

Who are the pioneering figures here and abroad, in the labs, the
clinics, the halls of power, the streets and the arts? Who have
you've met, read or heard about in your own labors working to end the
epidemic , whether it's forging immune/vaccine discoveries, designing
new therapies, facilitating treatment and care in poor nations,
holding leaders to account, fighting for scare funds, speaking truth
to power or putting a public face on the epidemic? They may be
household names or unsung heroes-or maybe even YOU!

All we ask is that you apply an earnest 5 minutes of your thought to
the challenge-and, of course, a word or two of explanation if needed,
and a contact if you have one. Here are the categories:

TREATMENT & RESEARCH:

POLICY & GOVERNMENT:

ACTIVISM & ADVOCACY:

FUNDRAISING & PHILANTHROPY:

MEDIA, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT:

Thanks for helping us spotlight who to watch-and to root for-in the
years ahead!

Best,

The Editors
POZ
www.poz.com
--
Walter Armstrong
Editor in Chief, POZ magazine
Editorial Director, Smart + Strong
500 Fifth Avenue, Suite 320
New York, NY 10110
phone  212-242-2163  x 203
fax  212-675-8505
cell 646-734-2739
E-mail: <waltera@...>

Dear Forum,/Moderator,

‘The Song remains the same and the feature is changing…., drug smuggling on the
rise’!
Beside, the heavy security and the alertness in the state of Manipur, Drug
smuggling has become a way of life and it is increasing day by day. During this
short period and during this festive season of New Year January 2005 tremendous
amount of heroin and SP tablets with arms has been siege by the security
personal. Nearly half KG of heroin, more than 4000 tablets of SP (Spasmo
Proxvon) and huge haul of Ganja (Marijuana) amounting crores of rupees in the
market. Among the SP (Spasmo Proxvon) smuggler, arms were also seized (Local New
paper date 9th, 21st, 24th and 25th - The Sangai Express, Ereibak, Imphal Free
Press, Poknapham, & ISTV cable network).

As per the information collected from the various local new papers, involvement
of women and arm has associated with drug smuggling trade has also increased as
compare to yesteryears.

Manipur being a high HIV/AIDS prevalence state among the IDUs population in
India and world as well, the authority need to look in to the issue seriously so
that Mid 80’s drug use problems should not be repeated in the state of Manipur.

We need to focus and strengthen the supply reduction strategies as well in order
to stop the influx of drugs while we persist to pursue State AIDS policy to
strengthen the existing Harm Reduction program so as to scale up in wider
context to prevent further damage looking from a public health perspective.

Bangkim Ch
Project Manager
SASO- Social Awareness Service Organisation
SASO, Imphal
E-mail: <bankimimph@...>

Futures Group is a management, marketing, research, and strategic
planning organization that help clients make well-informed decisions
in the presence of future uncertainty. Since its founding in 1971, the
Futures Group has worked in more than 60 developing countries to
build local capacity to design and implement effective strategies to
address critical development issues. We have earned a reputation as a global
leader in public health and social concerns, including population,
family planning, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS and sexually
transmitted infections, safe motherhood, poverty alleviation, education, and the
environment.

Purpose: The Project Director (PD) will have overall responsibility
for directing the Futures Group Avahan Advocacy Program in HIV/AIDS.

Overall Program Description: The Avahan Advocacy Program (AAP)
utilizes a capacity building model to help galvanize the leadership around
HIV/AIDS and foster a supportive environment for HIV prevention, care
and treatment efforts. There is a special emphasis on reducing
HIV-related stigma and discrimination by increasing leadership
involvement at all levels. As a result, partners and stakeholders
will be better placed to understand the impact of the HIV epidemic and
take effective advocacy, policy and program measures to address it. The
program will be operational in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Manipur, Nagaland, and Delhi.

Responsibilities:

The Project Director is responsible for the technical, program,
personnel, operations, and financial management of the AAP in all six
locations. This includes overall responsibility for assessing state
policy and advocacy conditions, designing state programs, and
ensuring state and national programmes are carried out and monitored
successfully. Additionally, the PD is responsible for working in
partnership and coordinating with other members of the Avahan team to
support the overall objectives of the Gates Avahan Initiative in
India.

Specific responsibilities include:

1. Reports to the Futures Group Managing Director.
2. Provide management leadership and overall technical direction of
project activities to all staff.
3. Work closely with the Managing Director to assure that project
objectives are met in a timely and effective manner.
4. Provide technical and management guidance to the 5 State
Coordinators
in policy areas including advocacy, policy dialogue, multisectoral
approaches, planning and finance, and capacity development.
5. Identify training needs of State Coordinators, other AAP staff and
partners and create opportunities to build local capacity.
6. Coordinate interaction and experience sharing amongst AAP staff
and partners
7. Provide specific guidance to state programs on subcontracting,
grants, systems, and operating procedures. Review and approve project
and state-level work plans and budgets. Approve travel, consultant
agreements, subcontracts and grants.
8. Develop and implement monitoring and evaluation activities
implemented by country programs.
9. Responsible for annual program and financial reports as well as
other ad hoc reports as required.
10. Initiate and participate in liaison activities with Avahan
partners, other agencies and organizations to ensure information sharing,
coordination, and collaboration.
11. Interact with Gates Foundation project managers and facilitate
communication in both directions.

Qualifications: Senior level position requiring 10 yrs minimum,
demonstrated experience, successfully managing HIV/AIDS or similar
health activities. Knowledge and experience with standard
contracting, management systems, operational procedures, budgeting and financial
reporting required. Documented experience leading policy and advocacy
activities in the field. Technical expertise in HIV/AIDS working with
vulnerable populations, treatment access, or policy issues essential.
Excellent oral and written skills required in English. Knowledge of
Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Marathi besides Hindi is an added
advantage.

Experience working with teams of diverse cultural and professional
backgrounds required. This position will be based in Hyderabad.
People with HIV are encouraged to apply.

To apply visit the job board found on our website
www.futuresgroup.com.

Dear FORUM,

Greetings from Project Concern International!

PCI/INDIA is organizing a one yearlong HIV/AIDS awareness walk, which
started on Dec 1st 2004. The walk will cover 6,000 km along the Golden
Quadrilateral Highway, and each day at all the halt points,
educational/awareness events will be held.  Please find attached the
walk information and update.

To date many organizations, including NACO, PSI, CARE, CRS, SCF UK and
others are lending their support to the walk, and we would like to
discuss with you the possibility of  your Organisation  also being
involved. We are asking NGOs along the route for assistance with three
things in particular:

i) Organzing awareness events at the halt points along the route, in
the areas where they are already working the halt points are given below :
ii) Giving us a contact person who could help our advance party with
making logistical arrangements along the route;

iii) Encouraging people to join the walk and to attend the awareness
events.

NGOs interested to know more and get involved, please contact us
through email at: path@...

PATHWAY,
YASH  SHRI,
8, Panini Society,
Santa Nagar,Aranyeshwar,
Pune-  411009
Phone:+91 20 4222717/4221638
Fax:  +91 20 4222334
Mobile:  09822 253 707
e-mail: dcostacelina@...

Dear all,

It is so heart rending to hear stories like this from time to time. I have
worked in this field for quite a while to know that when one commits suicide it
is not just one issue.

Most of the time when PLWHA commit suicide it has been because of their
inability to tolerate any more pain mostly physical. Fear that it could get
worse, feeling of isolation and the list can go on.

If Mr chakraborty, KNP+, is implying that PLWHA are kept forcibly in MOC, this
is serious allegation. While most of us reading this do not actually know  what
is going on in MOC. What we do know however is that MOC has a history of
treating and caring for  people who are destitute and  dying. Valuing life and
allowing a person to die with dignity has been something they are committed to
for many years now.

We have had cases of people committing suicide in tambaram hospital in chennai,
and  this certainly does not mean that patients are treated poorly, kept against
their wishes  or are neglected.

We have hundreds of patients accessing services of tambaram hospital in chennai
on a daily basis. Suicides could happen in the best of facilities, with this one
case of suicide lets not assume and jump to conclusions about MOC or any 
organisation or hospital working in HIV.

We must keep in mind that currently many organisations, facilities  working in
HIV work over time, with limited resources in terms of personnel and other
resouces. We need the support of all those who can care and support with the
kind of numbers of positive people we are dealing with right now.

As for any irregularities in MOC I think we should allow the local police to
come to a conclusion after their investigation.

Warm Regards

Magdalene Jeyarathnam
Counsellor and couselling trainer
Chennai
E-mail: <magdalene.jeyarathnam@...>

Dear FORUM,

Just curious about the rate of prevalence in Mumbai district and Thane
district specially in places like Thane City, Vasai, Virar, Dombivli
and Kalyan

Anyone knows about it, please reply !

"Bombayiite2005"
E-mail: <bombayiite2005@...>

Job Position:

Advocacy and Treatment Education Officer

Organization: Indian Network for People living with HIV/AIDS (INP+)

Job Profile:

* Develop an overall advocacy strategy plan for INP+ in collaboration with a
consultant;
* Develop research plan to assist in advocacy activities;
* Preparation of advocacy tools;
* Build alliances and develop rapport with various stakeholders;
* Develop various community working groups (female sex workers, MSM, IDU) on
advocacy issues relevant to those communities;
* Coordination with state Advocacy Officers;
* Assist state Advocacy Officers in preparing the state level advocacy agenda
and provide ongoing technical assistance;
* Identify the treatment education needs and develop treatment education plan
for INP+;
* Develop treatment education materials in English and in various Indian
languages; and
* Dissemination of the treatment education materials (print forms, soft-copies
and coordinate in uploading in INP+ website).

Required skills and experience:

* A person with a minimum of 5 years experience in the field of HIV/AIDS
* Experience of working with Govt, NGO and other primary and secondary
stakeholders
* Written and spoken fluency in Hindi and English
* Willing to travel across the country
* Willing to work with sexual minorities such as women in sex work, IDUs and MSM

Preference will be given to persons living with HIV

For more information:
Indian Network for People living with HIV/AIDS (INP+)
Flat no 6, Kash Towers
No 93, South West Boag Road, T. Nagar,
Chennai - 600 017, Ph: 044- 24329580/81
Email: inpplus@...; inpplus@...

UNAIDS surveys advocacy needs

AIDS advocacy helps drive a more effective response globally and at
country level. Many different organizations, individuals and
institutions advocate for a stronger response to AIDS. UNAIDS, on
its part, supports advocacy efforts with strategic information,
events and partnership opportunities.

To help inform us how UNAIDS can better support advocacy efforts
this year and beyond, organizations are being asked to complete a
questionnaire. The survey is available in English, French and
Spanish and the deadline for responses is 25 February 2005.

UNAIDS surveys advocacy needs

AIDS advocacy helps drive a more effective response globally and at
country level. Many different organizations, individuals and
institutions advocate for a stronger response to AIDS. UNAIDS, on
its part, supports advocacy efforts with strategic information,
events and partnership opportunities.

To help inform us how UNAIDS can better support advocacy efforts
this year and beyond, organizations are being asked to complete a
questionnaire. The survey is available in English, French and
Spanish and the deadline for responses is 25 February 2005.

[Moderators note: The survey questionnaire is available at the
following url.  If you are experiencing difficulty to access the
questionnaire, the I  will be happy to send you copy of the
questioner]

http://www.unaids.org/wac2004/Documents/AdvocacySurvey_en.doc

Futures Group specialises in the design and implementation of public health
and social programmes throughout the world with much of our work concerning
HIV/AIDS in developing countries. Futures Group European office is looking
for persons to potentially join the DFID funded Programme Management
Organization for Managing DFID Supported HIV/AIDS and Sexual Health
Programmes in India

The overall objective of the Programme Management Organisation will be to
manage the implementation and monitoring of a number of key existing and new
contracts and activities, which form part of DFID's support to the National
AIDS Control Programme (NACP). All positions will be engaged for a period
extending no later than March 2007.

HEAD OF PMO

Reference DFID/IND/PMO
We require a highly motivated individual to co-ordinate all project
components, provide general management to the team, and be responsible for
all deliverables. The candidate will need to work closely with DFID, NACP II
and other key stakeholders.

The candidate will be responsible for:
-Programme Management and strategic planning
-Managing multiple international and national agency partners
-Contract Management /establishing mechanisms for contract approval
-Supervising and coordinating all aspects of technical work
-Managing a number of key existing and new contracts
-Networking, liaising and communicating with other programmes and
initiatives.

The ideal candidate must have the following skills and experience:
-A university degree in Public Health or relevant subject
-10 years professional experience as a team leader on Sexual Health and
HIV/AIDS
-At least 7 years experience as a senior programme manager/technical advisor
for an international agency and preferably previous experience working with
DFID
-Experience of managing multiple partners
-Demonstrated financial control of a project is essential
-Fluency in spoken and written English
-Professional working experience in a relevant role within India

MONITORING & EVALUATION EXPERT
Reference DFID/IND/ME

The Monitoring and Evaluation expert will support, advise and develop M&E
strategy on all activities conducted by the PMO

The candidate will be responsible for:
-Ensuring comprehensive and consistent Monitoring and Evaluation systems for
existing and new activities conducted by the PMO
-Supporting and improving current monitoring and evaluation systems
-Prepare and disseminate reports and findings to key stakeholders
-Networking, liaising and communicating with other programmes and
initiatives

The ideal candidate must have the following skills and experience:
-A relevant university degree (e.g. Social Science, or Public Health)
-7-10 years experience in the field of sexual health and HIV/AIDS issues in
India
-Extensive and proven theoretical and practical skills in social research
methods
-A demonstrated ability to manage M&E programmes in the field of sexual
health and HIV/AIDS
-Preferably previous monitoring and evaluation work experience with DFID
-Professional working experience in a relevant role within India
-Fluency in spoken and written English

COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST
Reference DFID/IND/CS

The Communications Specialist should be capable of developing effective
HIV/AIDS communications and media strategy

The candidate will be responsible for:
-Developing a national Media Campaign for television, both terrestrial
and/or satellite. You will identify, shortlist and contract an organisation
to develop a national campaign.
-Liaise with the NACO to ensure that appropriate mechanisms for approval are
obtained for all media activities and materials
-Facilitate Monitoring and Evaluation for HIV/AIDS related media activities
-Monitor and manage time slots on electronic media, space on print and
outdoor media
-Organise exhibitions, events and any other innovative media as required

The ideal candidate must have the following skills and experience:
-A university degree in Journalism, Public Relations, or other relevant
subject
-7-10 years experience in the field of sexual health and HIV/AIDS issues in
India
-Experience of developing print and electronic IEC/BCC campaign material
-Demonstrated experience in media planning/management
-Extensive experience of working with a wide range of media including TV,
radio, internet, and print media
-Professional working experience in a relevant role within India

OFFICE AND FINANCE MANAGER
Reference DFID/IND/FAO

The Office and Finance Manager will be responsible for all administrative
and financial aspects of the Programme Management Organisation

The candidate will be responsible for:
-All aspects of Financial Management, including developing and establishing
appropriate monitoring and reporting systems, including budget control and
procurement
-Ensure proper administrative, contractual and financial systems are in
place
-Staff management including the development of personnel policy
-Liaise with the Grant disbursement team to support Individual companies in
building their financial capacity in order to manage the grants.

The ideal candidate must have the following skills and experience:
-Solid background in Financial Procedures, Management and Reporting
-7-10 years experience in financial and administrative management of
International NGOs or large organizations
-Proven experience of staff management, financial accounting and reporting,
and, personnel policy development.
-Hands-on experience of financial capacity building with the private sector
or with NGOs highly desirable
-Experience of working in India and on DFID programmes preferable
-A collaborative and facilitative working style

Email your CV quoting reference DFID/IND/PMO to
opportunitiesuk@...
or fax to +44 (0) 1225 443 656

Closing date for applications Tuesday 8th  February
Futures Group Europe, Edgar Buildings, 17 George Street, Bath BA1 2EN
For more information and applying online visit our website at

www.futuresgroup.com <http://www.futuresgroup.com/>

Job position: PROGRAM MANAGER

Organization: Rural Education and Action Development (READ);
Perambalur District (Tamil Nadu).

Job Description
Manage day-to-day operations of a collaborative HIV education project
including field staff and peer educators. The tasks include:

Communication
Maintain ongoing communication with the local NGO team and the
USA-based consultants (via e-mail) under supervision of the NGO
executive director.

Workshop & meeting manager:
Will be responsible for the logistics of organizing and coordinating
workshops, preparation of materials in collaboration with
consultants, attending regular meetings, record-keeping.

Staff Supervision & record-keeping
Recruit, train, and supervise staff for data collection, data entry,
data management.

Required skills and experiences:
- Master in social work, or master in public health, MA Sociology,
Psychology or related field.
- Fluent in verbal and written Tamil and English, including
translation between both languages.
- Good communication and negotiation skills with people of varying
degrees of academic training.
- Experience in project management, planning and documentation.
- Knowledge of basic computer programs: Microsoft Office (Word,
Excell, Powerpoint) or similar programs; e-mail and internet.
- Willing to live near our main office (Andimadam, Perambalur
district, Tamil Nadu).
- Able to work independently as well as in team format (with a team
of young and dedicated staff in a friendly environment).
- Have dynamic and energetic personality, be committed, ability to
work in sometimes challenging conditions.
- Unprejudiced and nonstigmatizing mind; sensitivity towards HIV
issues, including working with vulnerable groups. Ability to maintain
strict confidentiality

Preferred skills and experiences:
- Knowledge of HIV/AIDS-related medical and behavioral/psychosocial
issues in an Indian context.
- Experience with qualitative or quantitative data collection,
including monitoring and evaluation.

Job duration: for 1 year, starting immediately, with possibility for extension.

Salary: Exact salary will depend on experience.

More information about READ is on www.sahaya.org.
If interested, please e-mail or send CV to:

Mr. D. Selvam
Rural Education and Action Development (READ)
1926 Sakthi Vinayagar Street
Vilandai-Andimadam Post, Ariyalur District
Tamil Nadu - 621801, India

Phone No: +91-4331-242583 (Is Also Fax),
Mobile Phone:9842496564.
e-mail:readselvam@...

Poor countries left behind on Aids treatment

By Alan Beattie in Davos
Published: January 26 2005 13:36 | Last updated: January 26 2005 13:36

The number of Aids sufferers in the developing world receiving drug
treatment has nearly doubled over the past year but some poor
countries need sharply to increase their efforts, according to
official agencies involved in combating the disease.

A joint announcement by the US administration, the World Health
Organization (WHO), the United Nations programme on Aids (UNAids) and
the Geneva-based Global Fund to fight Aids, tuberculosis and malaria
said that by the end of last year, 700,000 people were receiving
treatment with antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, which suppress the effects
of Aids. The total, 75 per cent higher than a year earlier, marks a
rapid increase despite the fears of sceptics that drug treatment would
prove too difficult and expensive.

"In 2001 when the UN held a special session on Aids, people could not
even agree on whether to support drug treatment in developing
countries," said Peter Piot, executive director of UNAids, speaking at
the World Economic Forum in Davos. "2004 was the year that we moved
from tens of thousands in treatment to hundreds of thousands."
But he stressed that treatment will have to continue to accelerate to
meet the WHO's target of getting 3m Aids sufferers on to drug
treatment by the end of 2005.

South Africa, India and Nigeria between them comprise 41 per cent of
the gap between the number of sufferers currently treated and the 3m
target. Leaders in those countries have frequently been accused of
neglecting the Aids pandemic. Jim Kim, director of the WHO's HIV-Aids
department, said: "The rhetoric from India, Nigeria and South Africa
has got better. But they still have to become much more serious about
scaling up treatment." Dr Kim said that countries had to start
investing their own money to kick-start treatment rather than sitting
back and waiting for grants from the global fund.

The agencies also emphasised the need for continued research into new
drugs, given signs that strains of the Aids virus resistant to the
first generation of ARV drugs are emerging in developing countries.
Randall Tobias, the White House's Aids co-ordinator and a former chief
executive of the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, stressed the
importance of creating incentives for drugs companies to continue
research. Drug company executives say that research and development
for Aids drugs and vaccines has fallen by around a third in recent
years as companies react to the threat of "compulsory licensing"
governments using provisions in intellectual property law to override
patent protection.

"Governments and pharmaceutical companies must work together to make
sure the incentives are there to develop the next generation of
drugs," Mr Tobias said.

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/cc9b9c50-6f9c-11d9-850d-00000e2511c8.html

NEPAL: Focus on the plight of rural people living with HIV/AIDS

24 Jan 2005 15:51:11 GMT, Source: IRIN

MAKWANPUR, 24 January (IRIN) - With deep sunk eyes and parched lips,
30-year old Maya Rumba stares feebly from her broken bed. "Help me,"
is all she has the strength to utter. Her skeletal body weakened by
severe malnourishment, Rumba is living all alone with full blown AIDS
in her small hut at Sai Foot, a remote village in Makwanpur district
in eastern Nepal, 128 km south of the capital city Kathmandu.
She is so weak that she has to drag herself around with her hands. She
has not eaten for days and is suffering from hepatitis C and
tuberculosis. There are dozens of NGOs based in Hetauda town, 30
minutes from her village, but no health workers have come to offer her
care or medicine.

EXTENT OF HIV/AIDS
Rumba is just another Nepali living with HIV/AIDS. Looking at her
current condition, it's clear that without care it is only a matter of
time before she dies. There are an estimated 60,000 people living with
HIV/AIDS in the country of 23 million people, the majority living in
abject poverty. UNAIDS estimates that between 10,000-15,000 Nepalis
are expected to die of AIDS every year in the absence of treatment and
care.

A large number of people living with HIV/AIDS are unable to buy food
or basic medicine. Their situation is becoming more desperate as many
NGOs based in the capital, Kathmandu, are withdrawing their HIV/AIDS
support programmes from villages due to fear of the Maoist insurgents
who have been waging an increasingly vicious armed rebellion for the
last nine years.

World Bank figures indicate that one-third of HIV infections
nationwide are among injecting drug users (IDUs). In the Kathmandu
Valley, the HIV prevalence rate among IDUs in the early 1990s was
about 2 percent. In 1999 it exceeded 50 percent. The prevalence among
female sex workers also increased from less than 2 percent in 1990 to
the current rate of 20 percent.

IMPACT OF THE INSURGENCY
As the insurgency drags on, seasonal and long-term labour migration to
neighbouring countries, such as India, is becoming critical to the
economic survival of many households. UNAIDS estimates at least 10
percent of the two to three million Nepalese migrant workers in India
are HIV positive. These men are now infecting spouses and others in
many parts of the country, boosted by women's inability to negotiate
safe sex.

Without effective interventions, it is predicted that there may well
be a generalised epidemic by the end of this decade.

People living with HIV/AIDS in rural Nepal are desperate for care and
support. There are already cases of people committing suicide and
children dying from malnutrition and lack of medicine. "People are not
asking for ARV [anti-retroviral] drugs. All they need is a minimum
form of support to buy ordinary medicines and food so that they can
live longer," explained gender activist Kanchi Bhandari.

The only hope for people like Rumba rests with under funded
community-based organisations. "Small organisations are doing their
best with the minimum funding to supply food and low cost medicines
but for how long can they support people sick as a consequence of
HIV/AIDS?" asked Chandani Rana, chief of one such organisation, the
Hetauda-based General Welfare Pratisthan (GWP).

LOCAL SOLUTIONS
Village based health activists are committed to the fight against the
disease. "We are ready to work in any village," explained Bhandari,
who runs the Women's Pressure Group (WPG) in Sindupalchok, barely 80
km northeast of Kathmandu. WPG works in villages like Talamarang,
Kiul, Mahankal, Ichok, Helambu, Duwachaur and Palchok that have one of
the highest prevalence rates of HIV/AIDS in the country. These are the
villages where most of the girls were trafficked to Indian red light
districts - most of them returned home infected with the deadly virus.

Despite an atmosphere of mistrust, prejudice and ignorance overlaid
with poor security in many parts of rural Nepal, village based
organisations like WPG are doing their best to reach out to those
living with the disease, but money is drying up as they have to depend
on Kathmandu-based NGOs for funding. "The NGOs want to get directly
involved in our activities and don't trust us with their funds," said
Bhandari.
Many rural HIV/AIDS activists told IRIN that they do not have direct
contact with donor agencies. "We have language problems. We cannot
speak English and the donor representatives do not speak our
language," explained Biswanath Bhandari, the health supervisor at a
state-run Primary Health Care Centre (PHCC) that does not receive any
government funding for the care of HIV AIDS patients. "The donor
representatives do not really know the ground realities as they have
not made any effort to visit our villages. They depend on the NGOs in
the capital to give them all the information," added Bhandari.

PHCC has to depend on donations and what charity it can get from the
impoverished local community to help HIV/AIDS patients with food and
medicines. It also provides travel expenses to poor villagers
suspected of HIV infection to visit the National Centre for AIDS and
STD Control (NCASC) in Kathmandu for HIV testing, the only facility of
its kind in the country.

SITUATION IN MAOIST AREAS
There is no official data on HIV/AIDS situation in Sindupalchok, a
district just 60 km northeast of the capital but controlled by the
Maoists. Local activists estimate about 300 people are living with
HIV/AIDS and the number is growing as most of the remote villages have
no awareness about the disease. Local activists fear that the
situation will significantly deteriorate if NGOs in Kathmandu do not
provide funding for care, prevention and awareness raising. Most NGOs
have withdrawn all their programmes from the region for security reasons.

"The Maoist conflict has severely affected HIV/AIDS programmes on a
national level. There has been a double impact. On one hand HIVAIDS
prevalence is increasing and the response is reducing," said Bina
Pokhrel, a local HIV/AIDS advisor with the UK-based charity Save the
Children.

Donor agencies have gradually realised the importance of care and
support programmes for those infected and plans are underway to
introduce the same starting from this year. "Plans are underway to
introduce care and support programmes but this will take time," said
Tara Chettri from Save the Children (US), a partner organisation of
USAID.

The need is critical say health workers on the front line in the fight
against the pandemic. "The least we can do is start blood sampling so
that we will know the conditions of the HIVAIDS patients who are dying
in their homes," said Sabitri Shrestha, a midwife nurse who also works
as a HIV/AIDS counsellor at the PHCC in Sindupalchok.

There are 72 female community health workers in the district who are
already working closely with the local community at a time when the
work of most of local and national government bodies has been
suspended due to the conflict. "They can be trained to identify people
vulnerable from the disease and as counsellors they can help to raise
awareness," explained Rohit Khadga, a health education technician from
public health division.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/221cb79bf5bfd51f97df1bc654ff4078.h\
tm

Hello!

I am a third year Geography student at Cambridge University, and I'm
currently writing a dissertation on "Street children in Andhra
Pradesh - their vulnerability to HIV/AIDS". I understand that such
vulnerability is a combination of factors which make them vulnerable
to the infection and inadequacy of support provided for them. My
dissertation is concerned with planning an investigation that would
examine whether the distribution of institutional/organisational
support matches the need of street children.

If any of you have any thoughts or experiences related to the
topic "street children and HIV/AIDS" and/or in the region Andhra
Pradesh at the slightest, or if any of you know someone else who
would know about it, I'd truly appreciate your response!
Many thanks, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Maria Saito Benz
E-mail; <maria_saito_benz@...>

Dear Forum,

When I was checking my mail that time I found this massage. Thanks to times of
India.

We were also there. And what we have done from Bengal Network Of People Living
with HIV/AIDS side is what we are explaining here.

Ashim Bala, was committed suicide on 24th January early in the morning. He was
admitted  at missionaries of Charity (M.O.C) by KNP+ for last 1 year, as he was
very poor, KNP+ sent him for shelter. He has young wife, one child of 4 years
and widow mother.

They started ARV, and atlast Ashim Bala came in Aurvedic Treatment, from that
particular time he was totally confined in the missionaries of Charity premises,
as he was in trial, the people of missioaries of charity don't allow them to
come out as we faced press against Aurvedic treatment, till that particular day
they didn't give entry to PLWHA, and specially who are the members of network,
our friends who are admitted at missionaries of charity, they are not allowed
them to come out atleast at tropical school of medicines ( STM) O.P.D.

Today two of the members of M.O.C. came for his family address and already our
member gave message to his family, we first attend M.O.C. and met with our
friends, they told about their confinement, verbally but not give any written
document as they became very much affraid about their future, body was still at
N.R.S. and police already filed that case, brother Nicholas was at Police
Station, E-TV, came for coverage, about this uncertain death, they gave false
information that last night some ring came from his family, after that he went
for suicide.

Then from BNP+ also told original message, that due to confinement he was
depressed and he was committed suicide, then we visited mother's house, and met
with Sister Nirmala, and gave brief of this incident, Sister gave us assurance,
that she is taking this case under humaniterian ground, and they will take the
responsibilities to save PLWHA from that confinement.

Ashim bala died but we hope in future other will get independence, who are
confined due to someone's ego. BNP+ are trying to help the family of Ashim bala,
which is possible for us. His wife is positive and child is negetive, so we are
trying to do something for her as early as possible.

So this was the fact.

Tarit Chakraborty.(President BNP+).
E-mail: <tarit_chakraborty2004@...>

'Point - Counterpoint'- the 'SIAAP Seminar'

'How homosexual is the epidemic'



Dr. Venkatesan Chakrapani, M.D.
FLD Fellowship grantee of the MacArthur Foundation,
Associated with INP+ and SWAM, Chennai.

&

Ms. P. Kousalya
President
Positive Women Network of South India (PWN+), Chennai

Will deliver lecture
on 29th January 2005 - 11.00 A.M. to 12.30 P.M.

at

The Conference Hall
The Madras School of Social Work
32, Casa Major Road, Egmore, Chennai - 8.
Ph: 28195125, 28195126

All are welcome
"SIAAP"
E-mail: <siaap@...>

Dear All,

I am Iqbal working for an International agency (Save The Children) and based at
Leh in J&K State.

We also work on HIV/AIDS in Leh and Kargil. We did some work on HIV/AIDS and
have produced some materials like leaflets, poster, manual for teachers and
video films. If any one is interested please let me know.

My address is:
M. Iqbal Bijal Save The Children (UK) P.O. Box 23 Leh, Ladakh 194101 J&K

Iqbal
E-mail: <iqbalbijal@...>

Dear Mr Lamabam (Wa-Wa) and friends

This is the first time that I am actually writing in substantively to this very
well moderated e-forum group. Of course, I take this opportunity to warmly greet
Joe and each one of you for this coming year ahead of us...with so many
increasing challenges and little incremental advances in our advocacy work, our
service and resposes to those who need the solidarity, affirmation, and
friendship most.

The response that my brother from SASO has submitted to this group is of some
concern to us all. As we are all aware, the situation in Manipur is still very
critical and the respose from civil society, the public, the youth and our
health professional fraternity has been remarkable. There is much ahead on our
road to complete still and this is not a time for either complacency or
fragmentation of our collective resolve or efforts.

I admit, I have not been closely following the recent laudable advances on the
ground in Manipur, nor have I seen the publication mentioned. However, I would
like to appeal to all parties to see that information that could play a vital
role in assessments of our work and impact should be very thoroughly considered,
of the highest professional rigour, and peer reviewed objectively before it
becomes print to be cited, disseminated, etc. This is very critical in such
situations as responding to the needs of drug users, disaster and torture
suvivors, detainees, etc., because of the large vulnerabilities in the
psycho-social and legal aspects of this kind of work.

If the information can be proven to be incorrect, it become incumbent upon the
author and publishers to make a corrigendum available. This is essentially to
preserve the security of the programme and work on the ground, to preserve the
safety of the beneficiaries, and to make the appropriate reassurances to the
authorities concerned that professionalism and ethical norms are being applied.

Best

Dr D Roy Laifungbam
CORE, Manipur
E-mail: <laifungbam@...>

" Society for Service to Voluntary Agencies " (SOSVA) invites
applications for the following posts for a HIV/AIDS project in
Mumbai / Thane funded by International Agency.

Goal of the Project – Reduce risk of STI/HIV amongst sex workers and
their intimate/regular clients in the prioritized sites in Mumbai
and Thane Districts.

SOSVA will implement this project through 10 FNGOs (Field NGOs ) in
Mumbai and Thane districts. Qualifications relaxable for exceptional
candidates.

1) PROGRAM MANAGER: A degree in Medicine/Public health/Preventive
and Social Medicine/ Social Sciences with minimum 3 years experience
in HIV/AIDS projects

2) MONITORING &; EVALUATION MANAGER: A degree in Medicine/Public
health/Preventive and Social Medicine/ Social Sciences with minimum
3 years experience in monitoring HIV/AIDS projects

3) MEDICAL OFFICER: Requires a full time MBBS preferably a post
graduate degree/diploma in dermatology. Min. 5yrs. Exp. in STI.
Needed to guide and supervise about TenSTI/ clinics.

4) QUALITY CONTROL MANAGER: A post graduate degree with relevant
exp. to design and implement quality control functions from service
delivery to administration, accounting, monitoring and finance.

5) MANGER - TRAINING: A post graduate degree with relevant exp. of 3
years to design and implement training and development programme for
NGO staff connected with the project. Person with Adult Training
experience preferred.

6) MATERIAL PROCUREMENT MANAGER: A post graduate degree with
relevant experience in materials procurement.

Applications can be sent by post or by email Applications must be
superscribed with title of job applied for. Also provide (A) Contact
details of three references, (B) Current Salary, (C) Realistic
salary expectations.

  E-mail: sosva@..., icos@...

Postal Address SOSVA Room No. 2-3, Petit Municipal School, Opp.
Bhabha Hospital, Bandra (W), Mumbai – 400 050. Tel : 022-26555704,
26411205

V Srinivasan
E-mail: sosva@...,

In City of Joy, HIV man kills self at charity home

TIMES NEWS NETWORK [ TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2005 02:07:57 AM ]

KOLKATA: Ashim Bala did not wait for AIDS to kill him. He hanged
himself to death in the bathroom of Santi Daan, a Missionaries of
Charity home in Tangra, early on Monday.

The 35-year-old was admitted in the home located at 37 Pulin Phatick
Road in Tangra, on October 6, 2004 in a critical condition. The
suicide was discovered by inmates at 6 am. "I was informed by Sambhu
Deb, a patient. I went to the bathroom and saw Bala hanging. I got in
touch with Brother Nicholas Patra, the home in-charge. He had the body
removed and called in the police," said inmate Sudhakar Rao who is
also suffering from AIDS. Enquiry officer B.K. Kundu took the body to
NRS Hospital for post mortem. Brother Patra, who was at the hospital,
wasn't available for comment.

Vivian George, also an HIV positive patient like Bala said, "Bala was
very sick. He would vomit continuously. He dreaded taking food. I
generally took his food to him and told him that a healthy diet and
treatment would improve his condition." George sighs and adds that his
words fell on deaf ears since Bala had "lost the urge to live". Bala
was a labour contractor from Bongaon. He is survived by his wife and a
minor son.

Since Saturday, Bala had been more dejected than usual. He had
received a telephone call from his wife in Bongaon on that day. "He
told me his wife would not be coming to visit him on Sunday. She would
come 10 days later," said George. His wife visited him frequently.

Santi Daan has three rooms and the one in which Bala was staying was
for critical patients. Even as Bala's body was being removed for post
mortem, three people were bedridden and battling for life in that
room. "They might die anytime," said George.

The home can accommodate 27 patients. There are 19 HIV patients in the
home at present. Whatever Bala's reasons for putting his life to a
hasty end, neglect is unlikely to be one. Rao, who was a fruit juice
seller in Bhubaneshwar, said, "Back in Bhubaneshwar, even the doctors
refused to treat me. Here the brothers never made us feel unwanted.
They ate with us and took care of us. We don't interact with
outsiders. We spend our time working and looking after other patients,
who are more ill than us."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1000355.cms

Ranbaxy sends three AIDS drugs for WHO approval:

[Health India]: New Delhi, Jan 24 : India's Ranbaxy Laboratories
Limited has made a fresh bid to obtain the World Health Organisation
(WHO)'s approval for three of its anti-retroviral (ARV) agents for
treating AIDS.

Earlier this month, Ranbaxy had announced it had begun filing data for
its range of ARVs with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under
its expedited review process for the US President's Emergency
Programme For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

The move follows Ranbaxy's earlier WHO-approved drugs having to be
withdrawn due to failure to submit all the required documentation.

"Ranbaxy will be making submissions of its complete range of ARVs for
pre-qualification to the WHO and expects to complete a majority of the
filings by March 2005," the company said.

"Ranbaxy fully supports WHO's pre-qualification project and we are
working speedily to provide adequate fresh data to WHO on our generic
ARVs including fixed dose combinations so that they can study it and
provide their expeditious approvals," said Brian W. Tempest, CEO and
managing director of Ranbaxy.

"This will pave the way for the early availability of these quality
medicines in areas where they are most urgently needed," Tempest said
in a statement Monday.

The US FDA had recently inspected the Indian pharmaceutical major's
facilities at Paonta Sahib in Himachal Pradesh.

Ranbaxy has been exporting pharmaceuticals to the US and the European
Union, among other places, from the Paonta Sahib plant for several years.

"Ranbaxy is committed to making affordable, bio-equivalent ARVs
accessible to HIV/AIDS patients throughout the world, particularly to
those who might not otherwise be able to access therapy," said Tempest.

Work on the new bio-equivalence studies for all ARVs is being carried
out at recognised contract research organisations across the world,
including in North America, said the company.

These organisations have extensive experience and history of working
with generic and innovator companies for their regulatory filings
across the globe.

Indo-Asian News Service.
http://news.newkerala.com/india-news/?action=fullnews&id=64216

Dear FORUM,

If we needed more of a kick to integrate our health care systems, here it is!
Malaria 'could speed up spread of HIV'

Levels of the HIV virus in blood can double during malaria infections

Priya Shetty
20 January 2005
Source: SciDev.Net

Health services in developing countries should integrate programmes treating
HIV/AIDS and malaria, say researchers, following publication of a study showing
that having malaria could make people with HIV more likely to transmit the
virus. The study, published last week in The Lancet, showed that levels of the
HIV virus in the blood almost doubled when patients got malaria. Eight to nine
weeks after being treated for malaria, HIV levels returned to what they were at
the start of the study.Even a temporary increase in virus concentration could
increase HIV transmission, warn the researchers, led by Malcolm Molyneux of the
Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme in Malawi.
Molyneux's team looked at 367 people with HIV in Thyolo District, Malawi. Of
these, 148 developed malaria during the study, but the team was only able to
collect sufficient information for analysis from 77 of these patients.

The researchers suggest that malaria causes HIV levels to increase because the
human body's immune system produces more white blood cells to attack the malaria
parasite. But stimulating the immune system like this activates the HIV virus,
which begins replicating. This increase in viral concentration could, say the
researchers, be sustained long enough to increase risk of HIV transmission.In an
accompanying commentary in The Lancet, James Whitworth at the London School of
Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom, and Kirsten Hewitt at the Health
Protection Agency Centre for Infections, also in London, say that because
malaria and HIV affect large numbers of people, even small increases in
transmission of HIV are important, so better integration of health services for
the two diseases is crucial.

They suggest the temporary increase in viral load reported by Molyneux's team
could equate to about a 50 per cent increase in HIV transmission during this
period. Neil French, of the Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust laboratories, told
SciDev.Net that discovering the exact interaction between malaria and HIV would
be difficult because the research would require treating people under study for
neither disease. Such 'non-intervention' would be unethical given the increasing
availability of HIV and malaria drugs in areas affected by both diseases.French
points out that the two diseases overlap on social as well biological levels.
The poorest in society are most likely to be infected by HIV and least likely to
have access to bednets to prevent malaria. Disease control programmes, he adds,
should come together to provide a comprehensive package of care.

In the developed world, the threat of simultaneous infection with HIV and other
iseases has been reduced by use of antiretroviral drugs. In the developing
world,  however, being infected by both malaria and HIV could be more important
because  rugs against HIV are not widely available. French suggests that a
pragmatic  approach might be to give people with HIV bednets to reduce their
chance of getting malaria.The World Health Organization estimates that together
malaria and HIV cause more than four million deaths per year worldwide.

Link
<http://www.thelancet.com/journal/vol365/iss9455/full/llan.365.9455.primary_
research.31922.1>  to paper by Molyneux et al in The Lancet.

Link
<http://www.thelancet.com/journal/vol365/iss9455/full/llan.365.9455.analysis
_and_interpretation.31934.1>  to commentary by Whitworth and Hewitt in The
Lancet Reference: The Lancet 365, 233 (2005)
_______________________
BOBBY JOHN| bj@... | 5, Chandan Gardens, NIBM Road, Kondhwa, Pune 411
048, India
e-MAIL: <bj@...>

Dear members,

To understand the scenario in a better way, let us split blood banking into
three.

A. Blood donor aspects
B. Blood banking (mainly TESTING considered)
C. And utilization.

Let us discuss B and C first, and then we will look at A.

Blood banking:
Problems with testing mainly are, 1) Technical and Human errors (which can be
taken care of to some extent, by proper quality control and training), 2)
problems of false positive and false negative results (inherent to testing
procedure and prevalence of disease in the population), and, 3) window period
infections (where the antibodies to the infecting virus has not reached
sufficient levels so as to be detected by the tests employed).

Window period infections can be shortened by using more sophisticated tests that
are presently very expensive and its use is debatable for low-income countries
like India.

Blood utilization:
The use of blood is very irrational. There is over prescription and misuse
analogous to the over prescription and misuse of antibiotics. A lot of
literature on transfusion audits has proven this.

Now let us consider the donor aspects, which in my opinion is the most important
of the three.

Such mishaps can be minimized if we have a pool of properly counseled, truly
altruistic, regular, voluntary donors in our country.

There are many studies done both in India and abroad which show that the rates
for Transfusion Transmitted Infection’s is low in these donors as compared to
replacement donors (family donors)

But sadly, voluntary donors constitute only about 20% and replacement donors
about 80% of all donors in Delhi.

In other states the ratio varies. The average national figures are 40% and 60 %,
voluntary and replacement donors respectively.

Officially professional donors no longer exist, but those working in this field
very well know that the professional donors have now shifted base and donate in
guise of either voluntary donors (and sell off their cards to the needy and
desperate), or donate as relatives of patients.

It is also questionable whether the so-called voluntary donors who donate in the
camps are truly so, as politics, religion and economics have a big role to play
in these camps.

Moreover proper counseling for the Transfusion Transmitted Infections are not
done in these camps. It is the number of units collected which is important and
not the quality of blood collected.

Experts are of the opinion that an approach which combines efforts at all three
levels will reduce risk considerably.

So a properly organized mass IEC campaign to motivate healthy low risk
population to donate blood voluntarily, on a regular basis, (so that relatives
do not have to run about for blood during crisis situations) is the ideal
solution to this problem in India.

I would also like to mention that government policy of issuing licenses to new
blood banks, in places where they already exist is leading to lot of chaos.
There is only duplication of activities and as such the number of voluntary
donors really remain the same or have increased only marginally. They just have
more options of place for donation. Therefore instead, the government should
have worked towards strengthening those that already existed and increasing the
number of voluntary donors by proper IEC.

To add to this menace is the problem of sale of blood in the name of processing
charges, which adds to the vicious cycle of unhealthy donors donating on the
sly, labs missing out on the window period infections and transmission of
disease by infected blood.

I am personally of the opinion that a “donation” should not be “sold”.

If NACO is already supplying testing kits, free of cost, can it not bear the
other blood banking expenses as an important and urgent public health
intervention? Is it asking for too much?

Kiran Chaudhary.
E-mail: <drchaudharyk@...>

Dear FORUM,

I m a senior Army Officer, want to serve the people of the area about the AIDS

So please send me the material which can be distributed among the masses about
AIDS

C/O Ashwani Kumar
Community Information Incharge
Block Devlopment Office Mendhar
Distt. Poonch, J&K, 185211
E-mail: <hellosweet9@...>

Dear Friends,

The ICAAP Secretariat has informed us that after the close of online
registration on 19th January 2005, as on 23rd January 2005 the current
status of Registrations are as follows:

Registration: 2,957 (from 85 countries)
Abstracts/Proposals: 1,827 (from 65 countries)
Scholarship applicants: 1,851 (from 72 countries)

The relevant sub-committees will start to review the abstracts/proposals
next week.

This is for the information of all

Best regards

Aditya Bondyopadhyay
E-mail: <adit@...>

Dear Moderator and Forum,

Referring to the Answers to the question numbers 474 and 475 in the book titled
“HIV/AIDS and you” published by the Indian AIDS Consortium written by Dr.Khomdon
Singh Lisham it makes me feel utmost pity by the unprofessionalism and the
utterly misconception towards the deliberate and indispensable response towards
injecting drug users in Imphal.

The reality that we could share to everyone could be substantiate as follows:

SASO undertook Buprenorphine Substitution Program as a part of the 5 cities
project implemented in India funded by the European Commission through a Delhi
based NGO called SHARAN. It was a pilot project and we don’t feel the necessity
to inform state authority even then there was a point of time when we had
informal talks with health authorities as we are way in process to undertake the
said program.Infact the authority visit our DICs and observe the activities and
call our team to present papers etc.

The program was operated under the supervision of a Psychiatrist who was a
registered medical practitioner.

No legal problems were ever faced by SASO as a reason of this program.
Buprenorphine dispensed from SASO has never reported to be appearing in streets
as a drug of abuse.

My humble appeal at this juncture is that the writer is referring to an
unreliable source of information or for some other reasons which is not known
and perhaps a composed masterpiece in a discordant tune.

It is time that drug dependency is realized and acknowledged as an illness so
every programmatic positive response towards drug use and the resultant effects
of it should be considered as COMPLIMENTARY RATHER THAN CONTRADICTORY.

Lastly I hope and pray that such incompetence should never be a thorn in the
path towards the response to Public Health and should I be prompt enough to
represent and speak about the influx and the never ending queries of such
program which was overwhelmingly preferred by the drug users.

*The book was sold at Rs.400.00/- to my organisation.

Thanks

Warm regards,
Lamabam Birendrajit Singh
General Secretary
SASO-Social Awareness Service Organisation.
E-mail: <lbirendrajit@...>

Yoga for Treating People at Risk for Diabetes or With Both HIV and
Depression

This study is currently recruiting patients.
Sponsored by: National Center for Complementary and Alternative
Medicine (NCCAM)

Information provided by: National Center for Complementary
and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to plan and develop an international
collaboration for research on the health effects of yoga. This study
will also determine the effects of yoga on people who are at an
increased risk for developing diabetes and people with both HIV and
depression.

Condition Treatment or Intervention Phase

HIV Infections

Diabetes

Depression Behavior: Yoga Phase I

MedlinePlus related topics: AIDS; Depression; Diabetes
Study Type: Interventional
Study Design: Treatment, Non-Randomized, Open Label, Uncontrolled,
Single Group Assignment, Efficacy Study
Official Title: Yoga, Health, and Meditation
Further Study Details:

Expected Total Enrollment: 50
Study start: July 2004

In recent years, western health practitioners have become
increasingly aware of the potential health benefits of yoga. This
study will comprise two substudies that will evaluate the effects of
yoga in two distinct populations.

Participants in the first study will be people who are at risk for
developing diabetes; participants in the second study will be people
with both HIV and depression. All participants will practice yoga 3
to 6 days per week for 3 months. Blood collection will be done and
weight and blood pressure measurements will be taken in study 1
participants; questionnaires will be used to measure depression and
stress in study 2 participants. All study participants will be
assessed at entry and at 3 and 6 months.

Eligibility
Ages Eligible for Study: 14 Years - 40 Years, Genders Eligible
for Study: Both

Criteria
Inclusion Criteria for Study 1 Participants:
• Meet certain laboratory requirements
Inclusion Criteria for Study 2 Participants:
• HIV infected
• Able to walk at least 50% of the time
Inclusion Criteria for All Participants:
• Written informed consent of parent/guardian, if applicable
Exclusion Criteria for Study 2 Participants:
• Require antiretroviral therapy

Location and Contact Information
Ragavendra Rao  rao_raghav@...

India
Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (SVAYSA),
Bangalore, India; Recruiting
Ragavendra Rao, PhD, Sub-Investigator

Study chairs or principal investigators

Frederick M. Hecht, MD, Principal Investigator, UCSF Positive
Health Program
More Information
Study ID Numbers: 1-R21-AT001942-01
Record last reviewed: August 2004
Record first received: August 26, 2004
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00090506
Health Authority: United States: Federal Government
CinicalTrials.gov processed this record on 2005-01-19

HIV/AIDS : Social and Ethical Issues
Col Zile Singh*, Lt Col A Banerjee+

Medical Journal Armed Forces India. [MJAFI] 2004 Apr; 60(2): 107-108

*Professor and Head, +Associate Professor, Department of Preventive
and Social Medicine, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune - 411 040.

The social issues associated with AIDS can be understood in two ways.
Firstly, they may refer to the social determinants of the pandemic.
Secondly, they relate to the social impact of the pandemic. Ethical
questions present some of the most vexing problems associated with
HIV infection [1]. Ethics cannot be considered in a vacuum. The
social context dictates how the principles of ethics are applied and
interpreted.

Spread of HIV is linked to certain patterns of human behaviour.
Hence, it has both biological and socio-cultural determinants. Any
attempt to control its spread must take into account the complex
social, cultural, economic and environmental factors in which the
disease is embedded. India has a large migrant population. Rapid
urbanization coupled with poor housing facilities in city areas
leads to migrant labours staying away from families. Illiteracy and
poor awareness exposes them to high risk behaviour. Occupational
groups such as truck drivers are especially vulnerable.

Mass uprooting of people by ethnic conflicts may also be related to
an increased incidence of HIV infection. In a study among drug users
[2], it was found that 80% of the respondents, many of whom migrated
following ethnic clash, reported having sex with non-regular
partners. Two-thirds of these respondents reported sex in exchange
for money or drugs.

The unequal status of women in most societies also makes them
vulnerable to HIV infection. Gender inequities preclude the women on
insisting the male to wear a condom even when she suspects him of hig
hrisk behaviour. In many parts of the world, commercial sex is an
important source of HIV infection. Even if commercial sex workers
(CSWs) are willing to adopt safer sex practices, their clients may
object [3]. Thus, for promotion of condom use, AIDS prevention
programmes should target not only CSWs, but their clients as well.

Interventions aimed at establishing safe sexual practices among CSWs
have shown remarkable results.

In Thailand, the decline in new infections has been very marked and
attributed to universal condom use by CSWs

[4]. The `Sonargachi'project in Kolkata red-light area has
demonstrated that such interventions are possible in India also [5].
Successful targeted intervention projects in Kolkata have kept the
HIV prevalence at a low level among sex workers. Participation of sex
workers in programme planning and the resultant empowerment were the
key elements of these interventions along with condom promotion, STD
management and clinic services for clients as well as sex workers.
The other targeted groups in and around the city were the fishermen,
migrant labourers and truck drivers.

The first case of HIV seropositivity in an intravenous drug user
(IDU)was detected in Manipur in 1989.

Subsequently, within a decade, 44.7% of IDUs were found to be
positive for HIV in Manipur. Injectable drug abuse is rapidly
spreading in India and has been found to be prevalent in North East
India, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Chandigarh, Delhi and other
metropolitan cities. IDUs also often indulge in various sex related
risk behaviours. Condom use is also low in the group[6].

At the family level, an adult with AIDS will severely compromise
household resources as the functional capacity to work is reduced,
medical expenditures increase and the income of both the infected
individual and those who care for that person is lost. Reduced income
in turn threatens food supply, the ability to pay for the education
or health of surviving family members.

The entire social fabric of the family is potentially disrupted. The
effects of HIV/AIDS multiply far beyond the infected individual. In
the long run, it has the potential to affect whole sectors of the
economy and societies as resources will be required for increasing
number of people living with HIV/AIDS and for the care of increasing
number of orphans.

The four pillars of medical ethics are autonomy, no nmaleficience,
beneficience and justice [1]. These are general guidelines, which
leave room for interpretation and judgement in specific cases. Many
of the ethical issues that confront us in the context of AIDS are not
new. However, the AIDS pandemic has given a sharp focus to issues
such as confidentiality, discrimination, access to health care,
prenatal  testing/abortion and the conduct of clinical/vaccine
trials.

The ethical issues relating to confidentiality and partner
notification within the context of HIV infection are complex. The
right of the individual to confidentiality can be in conflict with
the right of the partner to be protected from the risk of infection.
Confidentiality is essential to prevent discrimination. On the other
hand, the seriousness of the threat to the health of unsuspecting
third parties resulted in the debate on informing people at risk,
also known as `partner notification'. The National AIDS Control
Guidelines for HIV counselling encourages motivation of the HIV
positive person to disclose his/her status to the sex partner.

The Supreme Court of India has ruled on the issue of the right to
confidentiality of subjects with HIV infection and the breach of
confidentiality in order to protect the health of third parties [7].
The opinion of the court is that the right to privacy and
confidentiality is not absolute.

This right may be lawfully restricted in situations where third
parties are at risk. According to the National AIDS Control
Organization (NACO) policy, no person is to be tested for HIV without
voluntary consent. The NACO policy rules out any mandatory testing
for HIV. It encourages voluntary HIV testing with appropriate pre-and
post-test counselling. Ideally, the disclosure of HIV status of the
person should not in any way affect his rights to employment,
position at the workplace, right to medical care and other
fundamental rights.

Unfortunately, one of the biggest problems faced by HIV positive
person is stigma. People, even doctors, are sometimes afraid of
dealing with HIV positive persons leading to discrimination in
medical
care.

This stigma can prevent people from being tested. It can result in
individuals unknowingly transmitting HIV. HIV positive women should
have complete choice to make decisions about pregnancy and
childbirth.

There should be no forcible abortion or even sterilization. Proper
counselling should be given to pregnant women to enable her to decide
whether to continue or terminate the pregnancy.

Even the selection of study sites for clinical and vaccine trials are
fraught with ethical complications. Sometimes, researchers have
chosen developing countries for such trials to avoid the ethical
constraints faced in the developed world [8]. The highest ethical
standards must be upheld when collecting behavioural or biological
data on sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS. Because
of the stigma and human rights issues around HIV/AIDS, study
participants may experience psychological, social, physical or
economic harm, even when precautions are taken. Data collection
protocols or procedures should include an explicit description of
the measures that will be taken to protect the subjects. Both the
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Central Drugs
Standard Organization have established guidelines for biomedical and
clinical research in India [9,10].

The global burden of HIV infection in the years to come will be borne
overwhelmingly by people in developing countries. Increasingly,
inequalities of gender, race and wealth will dictate the course of
the pandemic, with infection rates increasing among the vulnerable
groups.

Social and economic dependenc will be the major determinants of the
future course of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Input from social research field is urgently needed for planning and
evaluation of AIDS prevention programs. Social, behavioural and legal
research will improve understanding of the dynamics of the pandemic
and its impact. It will translate into public health and societal
action for fostering understanding of the intricate relationships
between the individual, public health and society. It will also help
in resolving some of the complex social and ethical issues.

References

1. Grady C. Human immunodeficiency disease; ethical considerations
for clinicians. In : DeVita Jr V T, Hellman S, Rosenberg SA, editors,
4thed. AIDS. Etiology, Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention.
Lippincort-Raven, 1977;633-42.

2. Panda S, Bijoya L, Sadhana Devi N et al. Interface between drug
use and sex work in Manipur. The National Med Jour India 2001;14:209-
11.

3. Helman CG. Medical anthropology and global health. In : Helman CG,
editor, 3rd ed. Culture, Health and Illness. Butterworth Heinemann.
1997;339-83.

4. AIDSCAP. Francois-Xavier Baynoud Centre, Harvard School of Public
Health UNAIDS. Final report of the status and trends of the global
HIV/AIDS pandemic, Jul 1996;5-6.

5. Jana S, Bandopadhyay N, Mukherjee S et al. STD/HIV intervention
with sex workers in West Bengal. India. AIDS 1998;12(Suppl B);S101-
S108.

6. Sharma S. Overview of injection drug abuse and HIV/AIDS in India.
In : Needle MP, Sharma S, Chadda RK, editors. Behavioral and Social
Research on Injection Drug Abuse and HIV prevention. Institute of
Human and Allied Sciences, Delhi. 1996;3-11.

7. Abraham S, Prasad J, Joseph A, Jacob KS. Confidentiality, partner
notification and HIV infection : Issues related to community health
programmes. The National Med Jour of India 2000;13:207-11.

8. Mirken B. AIDS Vaccine. The ethical and social issues. Bulletin of
experimental treatment for AIDS. San Francisco AIDS Foundation.
Summer/autumn 2002;6-8.

9. ICMR. Ethical Guidelines for biomedical research on human
subjects. ICMR, New Delhi 2000;1-101.

10. CDSCO. Good clinical practices - guidelines for clinical trials
on pharmaceutical products in India. Directorate General of Health
Services. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India,
New Delhi. 2001;1-132.

http://medind.nic.in/maa/t04/i2/maat04i2p107.pdf

HIV & AIDS in J&K

AIDS claims 37 lives in J&K:

[India News]: Jammu, Jan 07 : As many as thirty seven AIDS deaths
have been recorded so far in Jammu and Kashmir, Director, AIDS
Control and Prevention Society, M A Wani has said.

Though the virus is present here in the state in small numbers as
compared to other parts of the country, yet there are 509 rpt 509
HIV positive cases reported till the end of last year, Wani said at
a one-day multi-sectoral AIDS awareness meet here yesterday.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Secretary, S S Bloeria cautioned
that the deadly disease has made inroads in the state and if not
controlled at the very beginning, it could result in an alarming
situation in days to come.

Calling for a massive and concerted awareness campaign for
controlling the AIDS in the state, Bloeria said that imparting of
moral as well as sex education in schools and among the masses can
prove instrumental in checking the menace.

He also advocated a major role of non-governmental organisations,
social activists and parents in curbing the spread of lethal
disease. PTI

http://news.newkerala.com/india-news/?action=fullnews&id=56920