TN tops in fight against AIDS:

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu tops the chart in fight against AIDS/HIV and the State should keep up the good work it has been doing, said Union Minister for Health Anbumani Ramadoss here on Saturday on the sidelines of the inauguration of a Regional Centre for Excellence for Paediatric HIV/AIDS.

The Centre, located at the Institute of Child Health, Egmore, is one of only seven hospitals in the country and is meant for the exclusive treatment of children with HIV/AIDS.

Around Rs.11,000 crore has been allotted for the National AIDS Control Programme for the next five years, Ramadoss said and added that Rs 2,500 crore would be allotted for medical colleges and hospitals under the Eleventh Five-Year Plan.

Ramadoss said the second line of ant-retroviral treatment, which cost more than 1 lakh per person a year, was being brought in at the Tambaram Sanatorium. Also, around 20,000 more automated condom vending machines would be set up.

India being one of the fastest growing countries, HIV/AIDS needed to be curbed as it could affect the nation's economic growth, he added.

The Centre for Excellence for paediatric HIV/AIDS which is set up by the Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society (TANSACS) in partnership with the Clinton Foundation is yet another milestone in the State's fight against the virus, said Supriya Sahu, Project Director, TANSACS.

The State is the largest provider of HIV/AIDS care in the country, she said.

Source: From Anbumani. Sunday March 2 2008

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