Following Africa, India ranks second worldwide in the number of HIV/AIDS cases with up to half of all new infections occurring in adolescents and young adults in some areas of the country. While the country has made inroads in committing resources to this health problem, it still faces serious challenges.

A five-year, $1.36-million research grant awarded to USF Health by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is an opportunity for the university to make a profound difference in controlling the spread of AIDS among India's adolescents.

The grant will be used to develop an interdisciplinary training program focused on biomedical, behavioral, cultural and ethical aspects of detecting, treating and preventing HIV/AIDS among adolescents. It will expand an existing HIV infrastructure created by USF medical and public health faculty that includes several centers across India to care for patients, train staff and conduct research.

The current effort will draw upon the expertise of USF's nationally-recognized Tampa Bay Adolescent Medicine Trials Unit. The unit is one of 15 NIH-funded clinical sites across the country providing comprehensive services to HIV-infected adolescents.

Read the complete article in USF Magazine (page 14).

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