Clinton group, India to train nurses in AIDS care

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Former President Bill Clinton and the
Indian government announced on Sunday a joint plan to train
nurses in AIDS care in a country which has the world’s
second-largest number of HIV/AIDS cases.

Of India’s billion plus people, more than 5.1 million are
living with HIV/AIDS, making it the second-worst affected
nation after South Africa.

The plan, a partnership between National AIDS Control
Organization of India (NACO) and the Clinton Foundation, aims
to develop training material and program for nurses, a news
release by the Foundation said.

“Nurses are a critical link in the delivery of care and
treatment for people living with HIV,” said Clinton, who
visited the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, the
country’s top hospital.

“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,” the former president added.

Last month, Clinton announced an initiative with nine drug
companies he said would cut the cost of HIV/AIDS testing and
treatment in 50 developing countries and help save hundreds of
thousands of lives.