Chandigarh, March 14
People facing psychological problems are at greater risk of HIV infection. Proving this in her recent research, Dr Anne Mijch, head of Victorian HIV/AIDS Service at Alfred Hospital, Australia, has also shown that people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHAs) and with psychological conditions improve psychological health by regularly using antiretroviral therapy (ART).

In Chandigarh to train doctors under a joint project of CII and Australia India Council, Dr Mijch said, “We also found that if PLHAs regularly use ART drugs that can penetrate the brain, they can reduce their won risk to psychiatric illnesses like mania.”

Accompanied by Margaret Hellard, Director of Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health Research at Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, Dr Mijch stressed the need to make ART available all PLHAs. Whereas the country has over five million PLHAs, funds are available only to provide ART to about one lakh people.

“It is an irony that generic companies of India are producing life-saving ART drugs for the entire world but infected Indians don’t have complete access to them. ART must be made available to the entire infected population. Also there’s a need to look beyond commercial sex workers, injecting drug users and men having sex with men. The fact is that new infections in India are happening among ordinary people,” said Dr Hellard.

She also dispelled the myth about the efficacy of ART, saying, “Research shows that ART can considerably prolong survival of infected individuals. It inhibits HIV replication and reduces viral load quickly,” she said, advocating the need to take ARTs to everyone infected.

They also underscored the need to advocate harm reduction programmes across India. “Very often the focus is on the route of infection. But that doesn’t matter. In Australia we have contained the march of HIV epidemic by introducing harm reduction programmes, encouraging voluntary testing and safe behaviour. We only have 20,000 PLHAs. In India, rapid, cheap and accurate testing must be made available even at village level,” said Dr Mijch, who along with Dr Hellard trained 50 doctors in HIV management during the last two days.

They also discussed mother to child transmission (MTCT) of HIV virus, informing the doctors about the risks of breastfeeding. “In cases of vulnerability, breastfeeding is advised against. No sterilisation of milk has been shown to be effective,” said Dr Mijch. Studies have shown that HIV is present in breast milk, breastfeeding poses a substantial risk for acquisition of infection for the infant and prolonged breastfeeding can double the overall risk of mother-to child transmission.

In 2003, research showed that the estimated probability of transmission from breast milk was one infection per 1500 liter ingested. Estimated probability per day of exposure is 10 infections per 100 child-years of breastfeeding.

Chandigarh, March 14
Seventeen-year-old Mani Chander tightened her grip on the Silver Salver Trophy as bright sunshine gave the ladies some respite from the stormy conditions of the first day in the 15th Chandigarh Ladies Amateur Golf Championship here today.

The Chandigarh Golf Club greens wore a lush look on the penultimate day of the tournament. But the ideal weather conditions were not reflected on the cards dished out by the ladies.

Mani started badly bogeying in the first four holes and also in the ninth for a five-over score in the first nine. She double-bogeyed the 10th hole and returned a similar five-over in the return nine for a 10-over card of 82.

But even this score was enough to give her a 12-stroke lead after the second round (163) over her nearest rival Sonali Chhibber (175), who returned a 20-over card of 92.

Rabiya Gill again sunk a birdie, this time on the third hole, for a card of 91. Pauline J.M. Singh showed some good putting for an 89 card. Both Rabiya and Pauline had identical scores of 177. The stage is set for an exciting contest for the second place.

Thirteen-year-old Jaipreet Ghuman also consolidated her position with a two-round nett score of 135. This Class VIII student of YPS, Mohali, was 12 strokes ahead of her nearest rivals, Veenu Sandhu, Mani Chander and Deepu Dhanoa, who were clubbed with identical scores of 147.

Fifteen-year-old Shivali Aggarwal with a two-round gross score of 190 was leading by just one stroke over Mala Singh in the contest for the Bawa Gill Trophy.

The Super Senior clash came to an end with Gurbrinder Johl clinching the title with a two-day gross tally of 195. Her nearest rival Harinder Sandhu finished seven strokes behind.

Mala Singh was leading in the Senior Section clash for the Lady Governor Cup.

The special prizes for the longest drive and nearest to the pin (Silver Division) went to Mala Singh and the longest drive and best putter (Bronze Division) to Jaipreet S. Ghuman.

The scores (after two rounds): Silver Salver (gross): Mani Chander 163, Sonali Chhibber 175, Rabiya Gill 177, Pauline J.M. Singh 177.

Challenge Bowl (nett): Jaipreet Ghuman 135, Veenu Sandhu 147, Mani Chander 147, Deepu Dhanoa 147.

Chandigarh, March 14
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has given a six-month extension to UT senior superintendent of police Gaurav Yadav. The extension till June 2007 has been given following clearance from the appointment committee of cabinet (ACC).

Although a senior official confirmed the extension, the formal orders were yet to be received. The pervious one year extension of the SSP ended on December 31, 2006.

The officials said the administration had recommended an extension of one year; the ACC cleared the extension for six months. — TNS