Committed to work for issues concerning global health,a group of young girls from US,have chosen India as the place from where they will begin their work. The group of seven comprising Lauren Krumeich,Allison Glasgow,Rachael Rieder,Ambika Roos,Cara Smith,Monique Morales and Gaurie Tilak-all in their teens- got together this February and finalised the project. Nineteen-year-old Gaurie Tilak,who is presently visiting patients infected with HIV said,This is my way of giving back something to my country. We are all academically from diverse backgrounds but we share a common interest to serve a developing country. Since I knew India well we zeroed in on India and after extensive research we decided to work on HIV/AIDS -one of the major health challenges India is facing, said Tilak,an undergraduate from Brown University. Tilak will also survey the needs of Mumbai District Aids Control Society,doctors at various civic and state-run hospitals and patients in these hospitals. According to the information that Ive gathered,HIV patients need free and regular nutrition. As the medication is strong the body needs nutritious supplements. There is a huge influx of patients at centres in Mumbai, she said. Patients discussed their problems with her when she visited them at JJ Hospital on Saturday. At the hospital,the largest ART centre in the country,is faced with a shortage of space. All HIV patients,with or without opportunistic infects like TB,are put in one room increasing the chances of infection, said Tilak. During her three-week stay in India she intends to work for sex workers in red-light areas as well.
