India will step up its efforts to fight infectious diseases including tuberculosis (TB), malaria, and HIV/AIDS by distributing more funds to the Global Fund. Established in 2002, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria claims it “mobilizes and invests more than US$4 billion a year to support programs run by local experts in […]
HIV/AIDS
Health Ministry unveils ambitious targets to bring HIV cases down
Expanding access to treatment and targeting vulnerable populations will be a core part of a strategy to bring down the number of HIV cases in India, according to recent reports. The Union Health Ministry intends to reduce the number of HIV cases in the country by 20,000 on a yearly basis in 2019 and 2020, […]
ART drugs and the toll of HIV in flood-ravaged Karnataka
Concerns in flood-ravaged Karnataka have been expressed for the state’s HIV-positive population and whether they can avail necessary medication such as ART drugs. Out of a HIV-positive population receiving treatment of 1.75 lakh, almost 67,000 reside in eight districts reeling under intensive floods. The provision of antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatments has been ordered by the […]
India: The AIDS pharmacy of the world
India is bolstering its reputation as the pharmacy of the world when it comes to the treatment of one condition in particular: AIDS and the virus which causes it, HIV. In 2017, there were approximately 36.9 million individuals living with HIV/AIDS, with 940,000 people succumbing to the complications of the disease. In that year, 1.8 […]
World AIDS Day 2018: The Indian perspective
2.1 million Indians live with HIV – the third largest HIV epidemic in the world. Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda intends to make HIV/AIDS a thing of the past in India by 2030. On World AIDS Day 2018, we investigate how likely this is to come to pass. Recent years have seen India make […]
In boon for HIV patients, historic law comes into force
The Health Ministry has started implementing of a historic HIV/AIDS bill, which passed in the Rajya Sabha in March. The bill offers comprehensive state provided care to HIV patients. In addition, social protections are to be put in place that would seek to prevent discrimination against HIV positive individuals. India has a relatively low HIV […]
Simulations to track and predict the spread of HIV
The spread of HIV can be both accurately tracked and predicted using computer simulations according to a study published in Nature Microbiology. The news could help India build on its success in reducing rates of HIV transmission. New HIV infections in the country fell from 120,000 in 2010 to 88,000 in 2017. AIDS-related deaths fell […]
HIV hotspots in the northeast: A threat to national progress?
India’s efforts to tackle HIV is bearing fruit. The numbers of new HIV infections, AIDS-related deaths and people living with HIV all fell substantially. However, the success did not come without a caveat. India may be making progress against HIV but experts have warned it is not yet on course to meet targets of reducing […]
Fewer Indians living with HIV but still miles to go
Since the start of the decade, India has witnessed significant reductions in its HIV/AIDS burden. New HIV infections fell from 120,000 in 2010 to 88,000 in 2017; AIDS-related deaths decreased from 160,000 to 90,000; and there were 2.1 million people living with HIV in India 2017, compared to 2.3 million in 2010. The findings were […]
“Historic” HIV/AIDS law passed in Parliament
An end to HIV/AIDS discrimination? A ‘historic’ bill has been passed in the Indian Parliament, making it illegal to discriminate against those with HIV/AIDS. The HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Bill was first tabled in 2014 and received the Indian cabinet’s seal of approval last year, before being introduced during the 2016 winter session. […]