Abbott and YRGCARE inaugurate new outreach centres in India

To curb the spread of HIV and other infectious diseases, Abbott and YRGCARE have inaugurated two pioneering outreach centers in India. The Blue Shed in Delhi’s Yamuna Bazar and an adolescent center in Aizawl aim to transform the lives of over 2,500 people within the next year through holistic care.The Blue Shed, situated in a high-risk area for HIV transmission, offers comprehensive services including testing, treatment, counseling, and social support. This facility features an on-site laboratory to detect known and emerging infectious diseases, crucial for tracking and managing outbreaks. Additionally, it provides links to government-run Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST) and Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), along with tuberculosis treatments.In Aizawl, the new adolescent center addresses the needs of at-risk youth, offering testing, treatment, mental health services, and guidance programs. Supported by the Abbott Pandemic Defense Coalition, the center has enrolled over 1,600 young individuals. The Aizawl market has embraced this initiative, recognizing its potential to enhance community health and protect vulnerable teenagers.

Sunil Solomon, Chairman, YRGCARE said, “Through our work with people in these areas, we recognized that meeting more of their needs and transitioning from a disease focus to a person focus could have a better opportunity to get them connected to healthcare and counselling. The HIV epidemic in India remains a public health issue and outbreaks can easily move from one area of the country to another as people migrate. Both facilities are an example of the type of innovation that is needed to address viral transmission amongst harder-to-reach populations that continue to experience high rates of HIV and hepatitis. This collaboration with Abbott is testament to the impact private-public partnerships can have in both identifying and responding to ongoing epidemics. The provision of testing services at centers will also help inform the emergence of new strains and need for new diagnostics.”

Dr. Gavin Cloherty, Head of Infectious Disease Research at Abbott’s diagnostic business said, “By ensuring more people who have HIV and other infectious diseases understand their status and have access to treatment, we can help stop the spread of this virus. In addition to its local importance, these facilities join an international network of organizations focused on viral surveillance and helping to prevent the next pandemic through the Abbott Pandemic Defense Coalition. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us how large-scale alliances spanning the globe are necessary to effectively address the burden of infectious diseases. We are proud to continue our long partnership with YRGCARE in this important work.”