The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) has forged an alliance with the Clinton Foundation HIV / AIDS Initiative in the area of care and treatment programme for people living HIV/AIDS in India. As per the agreement, the Foundation is to help India with assistance in developing laboratory-testing capabilities for the disease, training of health professionals and community mobilization effort in support of AIDS care.
The Clinton Foundation will also support in setting up a national system for deploying testing capabilities throughout the country; assistance with procuring low priced testing equipment. The union health and family welfare minister, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss welcomed the support extended by the Clinton Foundation to NACO and hoped that the partnership will help in India's efforts to contain the spread of HIV/AIDS.
An MoU in this regard was signed by the Dr. S.Y. Quraishi, Project Director, NACO and Ira Magaziner, Chairman, Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative.
This initiative which began in August 2004 was expected to be formalized during President Clinton's visit in September. However, due to health reasons he could not come to India.
It was exactly a year ago, the Clinton Foundation roped in four Indian manufacturers Ranbaxy, Cipla, Matrix and Hetero, to supply anti-retroviral drugs at one-third to one-half the prices of their drugs for anti AIDS programmes across the developing world.
The Clinton Foundation had been in touch with Indian government since then to finalise an agreement with the country to assist the latter in developing a comprehensive system to fight AIDS epidemic in the country.