Why are AIDS drugs unaffordable in India?
The big question facing HIV-positive people in India is access to affordable antiretroviral drugs. Already, second-line drugs cost over Rs 1 lakh per person per year in India, compared to approximately Rs 50,000 in 66 other developing countries. K M Gopakumar outlines some measures the government can take to rein in prices
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Prevention of HIV transmission: Do we know what works and what doesn't?
We know that HIV prevalence has stabilised or dropped in some parts of the country and amongst certain groups of the population. But do we know why? Mariette Correa analyses prevention efforts in India, the successes and failures
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Falling through the cracks: PPTCT in India
Parent to child transmission of HIV in India infects 56,700 children every year. The third phase of the National AIDS Control Programme aims to reach 7.5 million women and give prophylactic treatment to 75,600 infected mother-baby pairs. The task is ambitious: in 2005, just 2.9 million women were reached, though the target was 6.9 million. Maya Indira Ganesh explains what more needs to be done
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Do we need a separate law on HIV/AIDS?
Stigma and discrimination lead to significant human rights violations for persons living with HIV/AIDS and are the greatest barriers to preventing further infection and providing care, support and treatment. Yet India has no existing legislation which would cover discrimination on the grounds of HIV, says Kajal Bharadwaj
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Is premarital HIV testing feasible – or desirable?
Three states are considering legislation on compulsory HIV testing before registration of marriage. Public health activists point out that premarital counselling and life skills education, not compulsory testing, are more likely to ensure behavioural change. Such a law might end up increasing the social ostracisation of the HIV-positive, adversely affecting women, the very group the law sets out to protect, says. Manjima Bhattacharjya
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Are we ready for provider-initiated HIV testing?
At present, testing for HIV can only be done at the client’s request and with his/her consent. Recently, the WHO issued guidelines enabling a shift from client-initiated testing to HIV testing recommended by healthcare providers if they find it necessary. Does this make sense in India, which does not have the resources to test millions, asks Ajithkumar K
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HIV and breastfeeding
In many countries HIV- positive women are told to prevent transmission of the virus to their newborn child by giving them food other than breast milk. But in India, infants denied breast milk may be at risk of malnutrition as well as serious food borne infections. Jayashree A Mondkar looks at the risks and benefits of breastfeeding
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Blood safety and informing donors of their HIV status
In order to provide safe blood for donation, blood banks must test each unit for HIV as well as a number of other infections. Since banks thus obtain information on a donor’s HIV status, should this information be given to the donor? S N Misra explores this controversial issue
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4 lakh AIDS deaths in India: 'It is pure mathematics'
In an interview with Rashme Sehgal, Denis Broun, country representative of UNAIDS, defends a recently-published report by his organisation that states that over 4 lakh AIDS-related deaths occurred in India in 2005 -- the highest in the world
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Why life-saving drugs should be public goods
Rachana Kamtekar counters the argument that if the motivation of high profits is removed, private companies will cease research into life-saving drugs. Most people in the developing world benefit less from privatised medical research than they would from medical research driven by health needs and funded publicly, she says
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Access to AIDS medicine: ethical considerations
AIDS medicines should not be viewed as private property from which huge profits can be derived, argues Omar Swartz. To fail to reduce the suffering of people afflicted with AIDS on the grounds that one person 'owns' the medicine and another has no right to it without payment of a premium is so completely reprehensible that it should be beyond acceptance and legal protection in civilised society
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