Population Services International (PSI) through its programme 'Connect' which focuses on persuading the private sector for the cause of HIV is working with the pharma sector to motivate them to support the AIDS patients. In this connection, two pharma companies Aurobindo and Emcure have provided assistance with anti retroviral (ARV) drugs. Now PSI is approaching more pharma majors who will be able to provide similar assistance. Talks are on with multinational pharma companies too.

Under its Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) initiative which assists HIV+ve mothers to deliver healthy babies free from HIV, PSI approached Aurobindo and Emcure for ARV medicines. This has helped to save the lives of more than 150 babies in last two years and over 200 pregnant women continue to receive ARV drugs so that they can prevent transmission of virus to their babies, stated Atul Kapoor, project director, PSI Connect told Pharmabiz.

Emcure and Aurobindo have contributed ARV medicines for e PMTCT services where patients from KIMS, Bangalore, YRG Care, Chennai and St. Ann's Hospital, Vizag have helped to support 450 cases.

The pharma sector has the resources which are required for the care and treatment for HIV cases. After the support from Emcure and Aurobindo, we are approaching other pharma companies to provide resources towards this cause. Going by the magnitude of the disease which affects 2.53 million in India, we need to increase the engagement from all sectors for prevention, care and support, he added.

Through its partner Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce (FICCI), PSI hopes to garner support from Indian Drug Manufacturers Association too. Resources can come forth in cash or kind. It could include not just ARV drugs but nutritional supplements and infant formula for the public health programmes. Further assistance can come in through technical skill support and training for HIV/AIDS programmes where the pharma companies can provide educational material for public health causes like tuberculosis which affects HIV/AIDS patients.

These PMTCT services are operated by Population Services International (PSI) and Y R Gaitonde Center for AIDS Research and Education (YRGCARE) in partnership under Project Connect with initial financial support from United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for a five year- period. Currently, the programme is in the second year of implementation. It is working with the central government and NACO apart from the State AIDS Control Organizations and other NGOs to develop HIV/AIDS programmes.

Chalking out an aggressive strategy to prevent and treat HIV cases, PSI Connect has developed a model and is now looking at potential partners to scale-up and replicate its efforts. Currently it has set-up three Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centre (VCTC) at Chennai, Mumbai and Vizag through the Saadhan chain of clinics. Under the outreach program, it has schemes for the vulnerable groups apart from help lines at Mumbai, Chennai and Vizag, stated Kapoor.