IHE: India

The primary site in India is Namakkal, an in-land city in the state of Tamilnadu in southern India. Due to its location at the intersection of several major highways, HIV-1 infection is known to be on the increase in the area. The most recent HIV-1 seroprevalence among pregnant women was ~3%. Dr. NM Samuel, project director in India, has established a Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV-1 Prevention Center in the government's headquarter hospital in Namakkal, and HIV-1 testing and antiretroviral prophylaxis is a routine part of prenatal care. This program initially focused on prevention of MTCT and includes group counseling and informed consent for HIV-1 testing.

Recently Dr. Samuel began a program for treatment of HIV-1 with combination antiretroviral therapy (HAART). The HIV-1 Prevention Center has a clinical staff that includes a social worker-coordinator, two nurses, two counselors, one laboratory technician, a nutritionist, an outreach worker and a "helper". All work closely with the four obstetricians, one pediatrician, multiple internists and nurses at Namakkal Hospital. Dr. Samuel's primary institution is the Medical University of Chennai (located on the coast). The virology laboratory at the University of Chennai runs the virology assays and supports the clinical studies.

Students who are selected for the project in Namakkal/Chennai will be provided with information about the project and background information to read about the epidemiology, prevention and treatment of HIV-1 infection. They will be mentored by Dr. Samuel and designated personnel while in India. They will participate in clinical activities at the hospital and clinic in Namakkal and will assist in the development and implementation of clinical research projects on-going at the site.

To learn more about health issues in India see the WHO website.

Foreign Language

No foreign language is required. English is spoken in most health care settings.

Required Activities

Travel

Visa are required for travel to India. Include prepaid envelope for return of passport by certified mail. AIDS test required for all students and anyone over 18 staying 1 year or more; U.S. test from well-known lab accepted. For information about business visas and other requirements, see the U. S. State Department or the Embassy of India, 2536 Massachusetts Ave., NW,Washington, DC 20008, Tel. (202) 939-9806/9839 or nearest Consulate General in San Francisco (415) 668-0683.

Housing

Participant housing will be organized by staff from Namakkal and will most likely consist of a prolonged stay in a hotel.

Safety

You will not be provided with protective TB masks at the hospital. It is important that you bring your own NIOSH-certified particulate filter respirator. A list of NIOSH-approved N95 disposable particulate respirators (including supplier/manufacturer and contact numbers) may be found here.

Traffic accidents are the major cause of injury or death for students in overseas programs. Read more about how to protect yourself at the Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT) website. The ASIRT has compiled Road Travel Reports for 150+ countries. You can order copies of these reports at no charge. The U. S. State Department also provides safety suggestions. Finally, you may find this recent article in the New York Times helpful.

Budget

You are required to purchase all items outlined in the budget. You must bring with you needlestick prophylaxis and other listed supplies. This is NOT optional.

This budget is approximate. We have done our best to estimate the costs students might incur. If your costs exceed the stipend you are given, these costs will be your responsibility to cover. If you underspend the budget allocated for a particular item, you may apply the excess funds to any other item in the budget except food. The amount allocated for food is not intended to cover all your food expenses.