World AIDS Day 2023

In observance of World AIDS Day 2023, Savita Kanade, Community and Outreach Coordinator, Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Government Medical College Clinical Research Site (BJGMC CRS), Pune, hosted a discussion on six major HIV related studies being conducted at BJGMC.

To honor this year’s theme of “Let Communities Lead,” Kanade presented on individual purposes, inclusion criteria, and procedures for the studies. She also led a dialogue on the importance of community participation in the studies.

Participants included approximately 350 people living with HIV and seeking treatment and care-support from the ART center, ART Centre-Dept of Medicine, Smt. Kashibai Navale, Medical College and General Hospital, Pune, Ms. Meena Chivate and Ms. Shalini Pawar, Outreach Counselors, BJGMC CRS.

At discussion were:

  • Daily Rifapentine & Isoniazid for One Month (1HP) to Weekly Rifapentine & Isoniazid For 3 Months (3HP) In Persons Living with HIV and in HIV-negative Household Contacts of Recently Diagnosed Tuberculosis Patients: The “One To Three” Trial

  • International Maternal, Pediatric, Adolescent, AIDS Clinical Trials Network (IMPAACT)

  • Hybrid trial for alcohol reduction among people with TB and HIV in India (HATHI)

  • HIV, Gestational Diabetes and TB in Pregnancy (PraGaTHi)

  • SWEN study, an NIH-funded phase III randomized controlled trial of an extended nevirapine prophylaxis regimen

  • Protecting Households on Exposure to Newly Diagnosed Index (PHOENIx) Trial

“Progress in HIV research relies on input, engagement, and participation from community members from around the world,” Kanade said. “We were thrilled with the number of people who engaged in the day’s activities.”

“The community at the BJGMC Clinical Research Site is the key to our success as one of the top enrolling research sites globally,” Dr. Nishi Suryavanshi, BJGMC Clinical Research Site Coordinator said. “Events such as World AIDS Day bring people together for education and they foster fellowship among people living with HIV and their families.”

A woman in a pink traditional dress is standing at a wooden podium, speaking into a microphone in a classroom setting. Behind her are banners and posters related to World AIDS Day awareness program organized by the Department of Community Physiotherapy at a medical college in Pune, India.
A woman is receiving a certificate of recognition from another woman in an indoor ceremony. Several women are standing in line in the background, some holding flowers and smiling.
A group of seven women and one man seated at a table with bottles of water, in what appears to be a formal or educational setting, with more women standing in the background near a door, decorated with colorful tinsel and a poster on the wall.
A stage with a man speaking at a podium, four people seated at a table decorated with pink flowers, and a group of students standing to the side. There is a banner celebrating World AIDS Day on the wall, indicating it is an AIDS awareness program at a medical college in India.