FM OCTOBER 2018 ISSUE - digital edition

news updates
India brings HIV/AIDS Act
into force
India's health ministry has enforced
the Human Immunodeficiency Virus
and Acquired Immune Deficiency
Syndrome (Prevention and
Control) Act, 2017 with effect from
September 10, 2018.
The Act, which aims to
safeguard the rights of people
living with HIV and affected by HIV,
has provisions to address HIVrelated
discrimination, strengthen
the existing anti-discrimination
programme by bringing in legal
accountability and establish
formal mechanisms for inquiring
into complaints and redressing
grievances.
Seeking to prevent and control
the spread of HIV and AIDS, the
Act lists various grounds on which
discrimination against HIV positive
persons and those living with them
is prohibited. These include the
denial, termination, discontinuation
or unfair treatment with regard to:
(i) employment, (ii) educational
establishments, (iii) health care
services, (iv) residing or renting
property, (v) standing for public or
private office, and (vi) provision of
insurance.
The requirement for HIV testing
as a prerequisite for obtaining
employment or accessing health care
or education is also prohibited.
Every HIV infected or affected
person below the age of 18 years
has the right to reside in a shared
household and enjoy the facilities of
the household. The Act also prohibits
any individual from publishing
information or advocating feelings of
hatred against HIV positive persons
and those living with them.
Online pharmacy
Netmeds raises
Rs 247 cr
OOnline pharmacy
Netmeds has raised $35
million (Rs 247 crore) from
Southeast Asian business
group Daun Penh Cambodia
Group based in Singapore, a
company statement said.
Existing investors Sistema
Asia Fund, the venture capital
fund of Russian conglomerate
Sistema JSFC, and Tanncam
Investment, a Cambodian
investment holding company,
also put in money
in
this round, the statement
added.
Netmeds is planning to
use the new funds to increase
awareness through marketing
efforts as well as to enhance
customer experience, reports
said, quoting company
sources.
The company had, in
October last year, raised $14
million from Tanncam and
Sistema Asia Fund.
Promoted by Dadha
& Company, Netmeds
provides a wide range of
medicines listed under
various categories, along
with OTC products including
wellness products, vitamins,
diet/fitness supplements,
herbal products, pain
relievers, diabetic care kits,
baby/mother care products,
beauty care products and
surgical supplies.
Dr Poonam
Khetrapal gets
2nd term at WHO
Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh
has been nominated as
regional director of WHO
South-East Asia for a second
five-year term.
The 11 member countries
of WHO South-East Asia
Region, which met at the
regional committee session
to elect the next regional
director, selected Dr Khetrapal
Singh unanimously, reports
said.
Dr Khetrapal Singh’s
current term started on 1
February 2014. During the
period, she identified seven
flagship priorities -– achieving
universal health coverage;
strengthening emergency
response capacity; reversing
non-communicable disease
epidemics; finishing off
neglected tropical diseases;
combating antimicrobial
resistance; preventing
maternal, under-five and
neonatal deaths, eliminating
measles and controlling
rubella. She further added
eliminating tuberculosis as her
eighth flagship in 2017.
The region, which was
certified polio-free in 2014,
continues to maintain this
status. It also succeeded
in eliminating maternal
and neonatal tetanus,
8 / FUTURE MEDICINE / OCTOBER 2018