Feb 21 2006
Bill Clinton, in a joint venture with the Indian government is about to embark on another initiative in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Training more Indian nurses to deal with the millions of HIV positive patients in India is the latest plan.
India has the world's second-largest number of HIV/AIDS cases; South Africa at present is the worst affected country.
Clinton, who over the last few years has been successful in persuading pharmaceutical companies to reduce the prices of AIDS fighting drugs, believes the main challenge at present is halting the spread of the disease.
He has brokered a deal with nine drug companies which will cut the cost of HIV/AIDS testing and treatments in 50 developing countries and help save hundreds of thousands of lives.
It was the promise of a high volume of demand and immediate payment which appears to have clinched the deal.
He says the deal has been very successful and no one has lost money and a very different business philosophy has been fostered.
People will now be able, for a very low cost, find out their HIV status in a matter of minutes, and work is being done on a second line of drugs.
He says there were approximately 5 million new infections last year in India, primarily because the majority of the people infected, were unaware it and until a vaccine or cure becomes available,education about the disease is the way to go.
Clinton says that India has the largest number of doctors anywhere including in rural areas. But there are still many rural areas without doctors, with too few nurses, and paramedical people to carry out the work.
The partnership between the National AIDS Control Organisation of India (NACO) and the Clinton Foundation, aims to develop training material and program for nurses, who says Clinton are a critical link in the delivery of care and treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS.
Nurses says Clinton, not only deliver the clinical care needed to keep people alive, but they also act as counsellors and play an important role in reducing the myths, stigma & discrimination surrounding the disease.
He is optimistic that in a years time, instead of a million people receiving the medication the figure will be 3 million or more and far more people will be educated in prevention and testing methods.
Read more about the HIV/AIDS Initiative.
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