[Podcast] Scaling up ART for people living with HIV: Major success but challenges remain to #endAIDS

[Listen or download this podcast] Dr BB Rewari is widely acknowledged for his decade-long stewardship of Indian government's roll-out of antiretroviral therapy (ART) programme beginning from ART provision to the first person living with HIV to over a million now. Now he is the focal person for HIV/AIDS at the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Regional Office and helping accelerate ART and other efforts to #endAIDS by 2030 (#SDGs). This interview is part of CNS Inspire Series. [Listen or download this podcast]

[Focus] "From small beginnings come great things": Dr BB Rewari on progress to #endAIDS

It is not enough to promise, we must act to #endAIDS

Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service)

[Watch this video interview] [Listen or download the audio podcast] Mahatma Gandhi had once said, "If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning". Gandhi's thought resurfaced after listening to Dr Ishwar Gilada, President of AIDS Society of India (ASI). He could not have been more sincere in demanding action to the fullest to #endAIDS by 2030 as promised by our governments.

[Podcast] #endAIDS is possible if we do all what-we-know works: Dr Ishwar Gilada, President, AIDS Society of India

[Listen or download the podcast] Dr Ishwar Gilada is among the first medical doctors who came forward to care for people living with HIV in India. Success breeds complacency and complacency may breed failure. Dr Gilada calls on NOT letting off our feet from gas pedal and instead keep striving hard to keep the promise to end AIDS by 2030 (Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs).This interview is part of CNS Inspire Series. [Listen or download the podcast]

[Focus] #endAIDS is possible: "Belief triggers the power to do..."

Complacency breeds failure: Consolidate efforts to #endAIDS by 2030

Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service)
[Watch this video interview] [Listen or download the audio podcast] Success breeds complacency and complacency breeds failure. When the number of people affected by a disease decreases, there is a tendency to disregard it as a public health problem.

[Focus] Complacency will be a kiss of death for efforts to #endAIDS by 2030

[Podcast] Complacency will be a kiss of death for efforts to #endAIDS by 2030

[Click here to listen or download this podcast] Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar, Director in-charge of National AIDS Research Institute of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has worked on HIV since 1989, few years after first case got diagnosed in India. He has played a key role in shaping India's health policy on a range of aspects related to HIV care and management. [Click here to listen or download this podcast]

AIDS is a political disease and a medical scourge, says US Congressman

Shobha Shukla - CNS (Citizen News Service)

[Watch video interview] [Audio podcast]
So said US Congressman Dr Jim McDermott while receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 9th National Conference of AIDS Society of India (ASICON 2016) in Mumbai.

Point-of-care HIV testing: Important 'cog in the wheel' towards ending AIDS by 2030

Shobha Shukla - CNS (Citizen News Service)

HIV-related point-of-care testing can potentially play a major role in accelerating the pace of progress towards achieving the '90-90-90' targets of the UNAIDS (joint United Nations programme on HIV/AIDS). Increasing access to quality and accurate diagnostics which function in low-resource settings is undoubtedly a critically important step in HIV care.

[Podcast] Listen to US Congressman why AIDS is a political disease and medical scourge

Listen to another special podcast featuring US Congressman Dr Jim McDermott who was conferred upon the coveted award of AIDS Society of India (ASI) in Mumbai at 9th National Conference of ASI. He spoke with CNS Managing Editor Shobha Shukla on key learnings from his experience of fighting AIDS in not only Asian nations but also African and in US. This interview is part of CNS Inspire Series. [Click here to listen to this podcast]

[Focus] AIDS is a political disease and medical scourge: says US Congressman Dr Jim McDermott at ASICON 2016

[Podcast] Interview with first doctor who began caring for people with HIV in Kerala

This podcast interview features the first doctor in Kerala who came forward to care for people living with HIV,  more than 25 years ago. Dr R Sajith Kumar is presently a senior Professor and Head of Department of Infectious Diseases, Government Medical College and Hospital, Kottayam, Kerala (India). He spoke with CNS (Citizen News Service) on sidelines of 9th National Conference of AIDS Society of India (ASICON 2016) in Mumbai, India. This interview is part of CNS Inspire Series. [Click here to listen to this podcast]

[Focus] Quality training in HIV care is key now to end AIDS

Saving the next generation from HIV

Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service)
The joint United Nations programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) is mobilizing governments and other partners to achieve new set of targets, referred to as, '90-90-90 by 2020', but with current set of tools, approaches, funding commitments, and challenge that HIV poses to the world, the goal seems certainly a bold and ambitious one. '90-90-90 by 2020' targets include increasing to 90% the proportion of people living with HIV who know their diagnosis, increasing to 90% the proportion of people living with HIV (PLHIV) receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART) and increasing to 90% the proportion of people on HIV treatment who have an undetectable viral load.

ASICON 2016 calls for making HIV a chronic, manageable condition in reality

Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service)

The AIDS Society of India (ASI) and all delegates of 9th National Conference of ASI (ASICON 2016) commended the government of India for finally approving the HIV/AIDS Bill – which will help in reducing discrimination faced by people living with HIV (PLHIV). ASICON 2016 is being organized in Mumbai, India during 7-9 October 2016 with the theme of "Eliminating HIV: Progress and reality".