DHARAMSHALA, December 1: Tibetans in the exile seat of Dharamshala today joined the global call for “Getting to zero,” the theme for World AIDS Day 2011.

Leading the day-long activities as part of the World AIDS Day commemoration was Dharamshala based NGO, CHOICE HIV/AIDS Initiative.

Since the first identification of AIDS in 1981, and the discovery of its causative agent, HIV, in 1983, HIV/AIDS has become a dominant global public health priority with a wide range of political, humanitarian, and economic implications

EXPERTS on HIV/AIDs have expressed concern over the increasing new infections despite the several interventions to curb the pandemic.

They said that unless an emergency intervention is made, Uganda will  fail to attain the goal on reducing the incidence rate of HIV by 40% by 2012.

The theme for this year’s World AIDS Day is “Getting to Zero - Zero New HIV Infections. Zero Discrimination and Zero AIDS Related Deaths”. The theme was announced on 9 September 2011 in Cape Town, South Africa. This theme is backed by the United Nations “Getting to Zero” campaign and runs until 2015.

2^nd Comprehensive workshop/Training/ Networking on HIV/AIDS in Phendeling Tibetan Settlement, Mainpat, Chhattisgarh - India.

The need of tackling the rate of HIV infection among Tibetan refugee communities in India and Nepal is immense. CHOICE—HIV/AIDS Initiative, since its inception, has been working consistently in providing preventive and educational workshops, peer counseling, and financial help/assistance for those living with HIV/AIDS under “Adopt an HIV Family” program.

NEW DELHI (AlertNet) - Two government employees and a charity worker in India’s western region of Maharashtra have been caught trying to sell HIV/AIDS test kits, supposed to be given free to counselling centres in the area, the Times of India reported on Monday.

Junagadh: 23 kids get HIV after blood transfusion

At least 23 Thalassemic children have reportedly contracted HIV after being given contaminated blood in Junagadh city of Gujarat.

Millions of people dependent on life-saving generic drugs to treat HIV/AIDS will die if India stops producing cheap drugs for the disease due to its trade deal with the European Union, the head of UNAIDS warned on Tuesday.

Source: Yahoo Health

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