The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Medical colleges to be roped in for AIDS research

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Monday, Feb 25, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Medical colleges to be roped in for AIDS research

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: Medical colleges are being roped in for State-specific HIV/AIDS research, with the Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society set to announce research award grants in a couple of months.

While Tamil Nadu leads the country in monitoring the disease, further research tapping the capacities of the medical educational system will help in more effective treatment, Health secretary V.K. Subburaj said. “Funds are not a constraint today,” he said, announcing the new TANSACS initiative at the National IndiaCLEN (the Indian Clinical Epidemiology Network) Research Conference held in Chennai on Sunday. The amounts to be disbursed would depend on the requirements of various projects. Final details would be announced within two months.

“We are looking for people-oriented, rather than journal-oriented research,” said TANSACS director Supriya Sahu.

Among the areas the TANSACS would be interested in funding was research into co-infection of HIV and tuberculosis among children. “There is plenty of data available on co-infection in adults, but little on children. We are interested in Tamil Nadu-specific research,” Ms. Sahu said.

The TANSACS is also interested in patient satisfaction data about the anti-retroviral treatment programme being conducted in the State. Since 2004, 28,000 people had received free treatment. Ms. Sahu said “operations research” that would help the TANSACS improve the effectiveness of the programme would be welcome.

A project to collect profile data for these patients could also help in further analysing the treatment and the disease. A database of family backgrounds and educational and occupational information could help to spot key linkages and patterns, Ms. Sahu said.

The TANSACS would be interested in research projects dealing with the issues faced by orphans infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. This would help to develop methods to aid these vulnerable childrenSahu.

Further research grants were announced by IndiaCLEN itself. Grants of Rs. 50,000 and 25,000 would be disbursed to young researchers developing new protocols, according to C.K. Gariyali, country director, IndiaCLEN.

In his valedictory address, Governor Surjit Singh Barnala lauded IndiaCLEN’s research efforts and its dedication to “improving the health of the people by promoting clinical practice based on the best evidence of effectiveness and efficient use of resources.” A forward-looking research agenda was finalised during the two-day conference.

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