WHARF symposium focuses on recent lessons and present urgencies of HIV/AIDS epidemic

Faculty from HMI joined colleagues in India in November for the fourth annual conference of the Wockhardt-HMI HIV/AIDS Education & Research Foundation (WHARF). The two-day event, entitled “Worldwide Advances in Comprehensive Management of HIV/AIDS: Implications for India,” was an opportunity for WHARF’s leadership and faculty to reflect upon their progress to date and discuss future efforts to combat India’s growing HIV epidemic. 

WHARF is an NGO formed in 2002 and jointly administered by HMI and Wockhardt, Ltd. It focuses on developing free professional development and educational programs on HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. Utilizing a train-the-trainer approach, WHARF seeks to build the capacity of primary care providers and other health care workers confronting the HIV/AIDS epidemic. WHARF is the catalyst for collaborations between providers all over India, and its faculty includes clinicians from both Harvard Medical School and India, and its programs are funded in part by a grant from the Horace Goldsmith Foundation.

Nafisa Khorakiwala, president and trustee of WHARF, in an address to the conference, reminded attendees of the central question at the heart of WHARF’s mission, saying, “Five years ago there was a thought and a dream to do something about HIV/AIDS.  At that time we asked, ‘How do you act as a catalyst and provide synergies?’”

In those five years, WHARF has trained some 12,800 health care providers, and interest in both the basic and advanced versions of its programs continues to grow. Medical school faculty and local authorities have taken up the WHARF banner, as well as university students.

Harvey Makadon led a panel discussion focused on increasing HIV testing and reducing the stigma associated with HIV status.

HMI was represented by WHARF co-founder Harvey J. Makadon, MD, HMI vice president of global programs and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. He was joined on the symposium faculty by Kenneth Mayer, MD, professor of medicine and director of the AIDS program at Brown University; Lori Panther, MD, MPH, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and an infectious disease specialist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; and Raymond Powrie, MD, associate professor of medicine at Brown Medical School.
 
The purpose of this conference was to bring together experts with experience in managing and treating the epidemic from other parts of the globe with the goal of disseminating information and discussing the challenges and lessons learned from other countries’ experiences, as well as to share and debate the status of efforts in India. 

Most experts describe India as a country in crisis. Although estimates vary, it is believed that by the end of 2005 some 5.7 million people were infected with HIV.

Nafisa Khorakiwala, president and trustee of WHARF

The first day of the conference focused on coordinating efforts to treat the epidemic, including creating a workable environment for NGOs, creating and sustaining global partnerships, and shaping public opinion and enhancing knowledge of HIV/AIDS. The conference’s chief guest, His Excellency Shri S.M. Krishna, governor of Maharastra, opened the conference by emphasizing the urgency of the problem, saying, “HIV/AIDS in not just another problem.  It is a serious national problem that we have to tackle on a war footing.” 

India is home to more than one billion people, but the size of the population is not the only cause for concern. Another is India’s ethnic and cultural diversity. Remarkable in many ways, it also presents a difficult challenge in the fight against the epidemic. Dr. Vinay Singal, country director for the Clinton Foundation in India, cited the difficulties of implementing interventions and education programs in a country with over twenty languages. Customization to local practices and to vulnerable populations is seen as a crucial but daunting task that will require a broad-based approach.

Habil Khorakiwala, Chairman of Wockhardt, Ltd, stressed the need for comprehensive management in the fight against the epidemic, adding, “We can learn lessons from the past.”    

At the conclusion of the first day, Makadon led a panel discussion on optimizing HIV testing and uncovering opportunities to enhance prevention and treatment initiatives. The issue of stigmatization around HIV status remains a barrier to HIV testing.

The second day of the conference covered clinical ground, with discussions of HIV transmission, reproductive issues associated with HIV, antiretroviral therapy approaches, the treatment of opportunistic infections, and the care of children with HIV.

Mrs. Khorakiwala and Dr. Makadon agreed that the conference was successful in bringing key stakeholders together to generate momentum and promote action.

WHARF also announced the formation of WHARF Youth, an initiative launched with the goal of educating young people with the real facts on HIV and dispelling myths and misconceptions. WHARF Youth is a student organization involving a number of colleges Mumbai. Priyanka Krishnan, a student at Podder College who is head of WHARF Youth, said, “With this initiative, we can join hands and reach out to high-risk young people, prevent HIV, and care for young people and families living with HIV infection.”

For more information
To learn more about WHARF and its programs, visit the website at www.wharf.in.   

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