Press Release: Announcement of Plan to Train Nurses in HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment Across India
President Bill Clinton and the Government of India announced today a plan to train nurses in AIDS care and treatment through a partnership established between the National AIDS Control Organization of India (NACO) and the Clinton Foundation. President Clinton and Ms. Sujatha Rao, Additional Secretary & Director General of NACO, made the announcement at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) where they met with people living with HIV/AIDS and Indian health care workers.
The Clinton Foundation, under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of India that was signed in September 2004, is assisting NACO in the nationwide scale up of the Government's free antiretroviral treatment program. This announcement represents the latest in a series of initiatives undertaken by the Clinton Foundation and NACO and will be focused on delivering a training program on HIV/AIDS care and treatment for nurses in Government AIDS treatment centers, and the faculty of nurse training institutions across the country.
Speaking today in New Delhi, President Clinton said: “Nurses are a critical link in the delivery of care and treatment for people living with HIV. Nurses not only deliver clinical care needed to keep people alive, but they also act as counselors and play an important role in reducing the myths, stigma & discrimination surrounding this disease. I am honored to be working with the Government of India and look forward to expanding our partnership with them by giving a greater number of nurses the skills and knowledge they need to deliver high quality care and treatment for AIDS patients.”
Since May 2005, when President Clinton last visited India on behalf of his Foundation's HIV/AIDS Initiative, the number of people receiving care and treatment through the Government's free national AIDS program has increased from 7,000 to over 25,000, and is targeted to reach 100,000 patients in 2007. Despite these successes, serious challenges remain, and it is estimated that over 5 million people in India are infected with HIV. In order for enrollment in its antiretroviral treatment program to increase to planned levels, the Government recognizes the importance of providing nurses with the training they need to support the patients in need of care and treatment.
During today's announcement, Ms. Rao commented: “As our ART program expands, nurses will need additional training to meet the needs for counseling, reporting and proper referral. The efforts of NACO and the Clinton Foundation will address these needs and enable the Government to continue delivering high quality care to Indians living with HIV/AIDS.”
Over the next few months, NACO and the Clinton Foundation will develop the training materials for this program and subsequently roll out the training program. The curriculum will cover a variety of topics, ranging from the basics of HIV transmission to the basics of anti-retroviral treatment and will place significant emphasis on counseling.
# # #
Learn more about our work at https://www.clintonfoundation.org/about, on Facebook at Facebook.com/ClintonFoundation and on Twitter @ClintonFdn.
BACKGROUND ON THE NATIONAL AIDS CONTROL ORGANISATION
Established in 1992 as a national response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) is the nodal organisation for HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment programs in India. An integrated multi-sectoral programme in is in operation with several developing partners like the World Bank, DFID, USAID, BMGF, CF etc.