University of Manitoba team helps tackle HIV/AIDS in India

Monday morning this week a major announcement recognized the work of Dr. John O'Neil, Dr. Shiva Halli, Dr. James Blanchard and Dr. Stephen Moses of the University of Manitoba for their contributions in tackling HIV/AIDS in India.

The University of Manitoba team will receive $22 million from USAID for their efforts which are primarily in the Karnataka region of southern India. In this project the team will focus on rural areas, and will work with people in local communities to enhance efforts to prevent HIV/AIDS and to provide improved treatment.

Dr. Shiva Halli is from the Karnataka region of India and he spoke eloquently at the announcement in the Brodie Centre of the situation there. There is very clearly a major need to act now before the problems with HIV/AIDS in India progresses to the extent that they have in Africa.

It is of particular note that this project is changing the world in part because it has very effectively integrated service, research and teaching. The service component is central. The integration of research allows for continual rigorous evaluation of what is working and what is not. The teaching component provides for effective dissemination of the findings so that the results can be used in other areas.

In the photo above, the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Manitoba, Dr. Dean Sandham, speaks during the announcement to praise the efforts of the team. Drs. Blanchard and Moses are now working in India, while Drs. O'Neil and Halli are primarily in Manitoba.