Keeping the Promise: Two Decades of India’s Battle with HIV/AIDS, a seminal publication highlighting best practice interventions in India’s battle with HIV/AIDS was released today at a special event by Voluntary Health Association of India, a well-known, leading public health organization based in New Delhi. Dr C Rangarajan, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister released the book in the presence of a distinguished audience and media.

Ever since the first case was reported in 1986, the looming threat of HIV/AIDS further complicated the health situation in India. The size and complexity of our country, weak health infrastructure and disease surveillance system were a cause of huge concern. And for the next 15 years or so, this epidemic was on the rise among vulnerable populations across the country. After initial years of trial and error, India successfully launched a multi-pronged programme to contain the growing epidemic, which included national-level consultations with key stakeholders and public-private partnership initiatives.

The UN Global Report 2010 recognized the fact that India has made remarkable progress in combating HIV/AIDS in the last decade by reducing the overall exposure to this disease.