HIV/AIDS Clinical Care Programme for the Healthcare Professionals

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Indian Business Trust for HIV/AIDS (IBT), has been conducting capacity building clinical care training programme for medical professionals since 2003. The training programmes are conducted each year in partnership with the Australia India Council (AIC), and India Australia council....

Oracle India Pvt. Ltd.

Oracle entered India in 1987 and set up an India Development Centre in 1994. Today, Oracle has two India Development Centres at Bangalore, Hyderabad and Noida as well as Indian hubs for Oracle's global support, consulting and financial services operations. Oracle is one of the largest multi-national software employers in India......

Read more...

CD4 Machines in all ART Centers

All the Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) centers in the State District headquarters would be provided with the CD4 counting machines to detect HIV infections, announced State Additional Director of Medical and Health Services B Kalidas. Dr Kalidas who is also the additional project director of Andhra Pradesh State AIDS Control Society (APSACS) was participating.....

Chief Mentor's Message:

To marginalize, exclude and exercise power over individuals, stigma, is often used as a tool for social control. By blaming certain individuals or groups, society can excuse itself from the responsibility of caring for and looking after such populations.

In context of HIV/AIDS, overcoming stigma remains one of our biggest challenges. Several factors contribute to the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS. The disease at times is associated with behaviour that is already stigmatised in society, and people living with HIV/AIDS are often thought of being responsible for becoming infected. Many a times, religious or moral beliefs lead some people to consequentially believe that having HIV/AIDS is a result of moral faults.

Stigma poses a hindrance to controlling the epidemic. It is high time that we confront the situation and create an enabling environment that focusses on providing access to care and treatment for those infected with the virus, in addition to creating awareness on prevention. The medical professional can play a significant role in this regard.

Training of healthcare professionals in treating People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHAs) becomes one of the key measures here. CII, in partnership with Australia India Council has been conducting capacity building workshops on care & treatment of HIV positive people, for doctors, nurses and paramedics since 2003. 1460 doctors and 670 Nurses have been trained as part of this program so far.

Most companies have a number of medical professionals working with them in their health facilities in the factories and hospitals. A small step towards providing a refresher training to them on HIV/ AIDS will go a long way in helping them work with HIV positive people both within the company and those in the neighbouring communities. It will also greatly help in reducing stigma which surrounds the HIV+ ve employees.

We look forward to your support to make this happen.