Press Releases 2006

December 19, 2006

U.S. Assistance to India for
Polio, HIV/AIDS, and Influenza

Polio

• The United States Government through the U.S. Department of Human Health Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provides funding to fight polio in India.  Funding primarily goes through WHO and UNICEF. 
• In 2005 the United States provided $12.1 million and to date in 2006 has provided $12.4 million. Funding from the United States supports the purchase of oral polio vaccines, disease surveillance vaccination campaign operations, the polio laboratory network, and social mobilization networks through UNICEF, CORE and Rotary.
• Since 1993 the United States has provided more than $1 billion globally and $150 million in India for polio eradication. This included $223,000 in emergency funding to help rebuild the Enterovirus Research Center Mumbai Reference Laboratory destroyed by fire earlier this year. 
• India is currently experiencing an outbreak of polio and has reported 597 cases to date in 2006; of these cases 90% are from the state of Uttar Pradesh.

HIV/ AIDS

• In 2006 U.S. commitment totaled over $29 million to fight HIV/AIDS in India. U.S.-supported programs integrate prevention, treatment and care services and a focus on preventing the spread of the disease by targeting at-risk populations.
• USAID and CDC are working with partners in high prevalence states such as Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka to strengthen national programs and enhance the work of local communities.
• The U.S. National Institutes of Health is providing technical support and funding for infrastructure development and basic research on HIV/AIDS, including collaborative research on vaccines and microbicides.
• In India HIV/AIDS is moving from urban to rural populations and increasingly affecting women. 

Human and Avian Influenza

• The United States Government provided $3 million for Avian Influenza-related activities in India in 2006, including the immediate provision of diagnostic reagents to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. 
• CDC continues to provide technical and funding support for multi-center surveillance of human influenza in India, has posted two senior scientists to India for avian influenza work, and is providing technical guidance for characterization of avian strains. 
• CDC and USAID are providing additional technical and laboratory support for Avian Influenza Rapid Response training and Avian Influenza pandemic preparedness.