As a teenager, it is hard enough dealing with the emotional challenges of growing; add to it the stigma of living with HIV. Then there are researchers who aim to improve the mental health of these teenagers without ever involving them in the process! This leads to a disconnect between lived experience and research outcomes. It is a little-recognized barrier to effective mental health interventions for marginalised communities. 

An international study, led by researchers from the USA, which also included researchers from India, have designed a point-of-care testing approach for individuals suffering from TB. The study, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine and supported in part by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, proposes a rapid, cost-effective, and readily accessible triage test kit that can be used at the site of patient care.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections are one of the most severe public health problems in India, with approximately 21 lakh HIV infected people reported in 2017. Sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender people, and people who inject drugs are at a higher risk of contracting the virus. Scientists across the world are exploring the possibility of a drug that can be taken daily to keep HIV infections at bay, which could help in reducing the spread of the disease and an overall prevalence, besides acting as a preventive measure for those under high risk. In a recent study, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Disease, researchers evaluate if such a drug can act as a preventive measure in a developing country like India. 

In a recent study, researchers from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, USA, St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, Bengaluru, and the King George's Medical University, Lucknow, have revealed how changes in the gut microbes are related to inflammation in the HIV-infected children.

Scientists from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, study what effect tuberculosis has on the immune system of our body.

The first of December every year is observed as world AIDS day. It is observed as an effort to unite people world wide in the fight against HIV. The theme for the year 2017 is 'Lets End It', aiming to end the stigma associated with the disease.