India has the second largest population of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world*. The state of Andhra Pradesh has one of the fastest increasing HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in India. Women and children are more commonly affected and have become victims of this epidemic.

SRH started the HIV/AIDS Care and Support Center in partnership with the Andhra Pradesh State AIDS Control Society (APSACS). SRH has two units - a Care & Support Ward for Adults, and a Children's Home for orphans.

In March 2006, a 30-bed Care & Support Ward was opened to treat adult AIDS patients for opportunistic infections. The ward treats an average of 18 patients at any given time and each patient has a personal attendant to help look after them. The APSACS is partially funding this clinic (10-beds), however, we need more support in order to maintain the remaining 20-beds. A Voluntary Counseling & AIDS Testing Centre is also planned to address the needs of patients and their families.

The 20-bed Children’s Home was inaugurated in 2005, catering to orphans who are HIV positive. The children are integrated into the primary school that is currently run on the SRH campus. The home now has a full complement of 20 children- 11 girls and 9 boys. Some of the children have advanced AIDS and have been started on Anti-retroviral therapy as per international guidelines. In these patients, we have also been able to continue our work with TB treatment.

We are happy to report that the Bill Clinton Foundation, recently started cover the anti-retroviral treatment expenses for all children with AIDS requiring this treatment. Donations are needed to help cover other ongoing medication which is being taken care of by SRH.

In addition, we need additional funding in order to meet the demands of the growing number of patients.

For more information visit www.sivanandarehab.org.

*USAID (2003) 'HIV/AIDS Country Profile India', March