'GAURAV SAMMAN 2001 AWARD' TO Dr.GILADA

[Guest guest]

December 31, 2001

'GAURAV SAMMAN 2001 AWARD' TO Dr.GILADA FOR HIS WORK IN AIDS FIELD:

The well-known AIDS Expert of India and Secretary General of the People's Health

Organisation (India), Dr.Ishwar S. Gilada, who has been tirelessly spearheading

the fight against AIDS since 1985, has given prestigious award " Gaurav Samman

-2001 " by the Uttarpradeshiya Mahasangh. Captain Yogesh Dube, Chairman of the

Mahasangh and Chief organisor of the National Convention of the Uttarpradeshiya

Mahasangh said " we feel a great pride of Dr.Gilada being an expert of AIDS

Awareness, his work and name is a prestige for India and is appreciated

Internationally, why not us? " Members of the Parliament Smt. Prabha Rau and Shri

Subil Dutt presented the award at the glittering ceremony held at General Viadya

Maidan in Borivali in North Mumbai and attended by over 25000 people of Uttar

Pradesh origin and the friends of UP.

Other recipients of the awards for their yeomen services in the respective field

of work were- Film Director Mahesh Manjarekar, Lyricist Naushad, Cardiologist

Dr. Lekha Pathak, Critical Care expert of Hinduja Hospital Dr.Sanjoy Bhuiyan,

Philanthropist-Businessma Shrikant dalmian. The eminent personalities like

President of Maharashtra Congress Committee Shri Govindrao Adik,Cine stars Arun

Govil, Mukesh Khanna, Anjan Srivastav were present.

This recognition to Dr.Gilada comes at a time when India in general and UP in

particular is passing through difficult time as regards to HIV/AIDS. He is known

for his spirit of creative innovation that accounts for his unusual success. He

conducts a tremendous number of activities with a very limited resource base. He

is responsible for starting and running the People's Health Organisation (India)

{formerly Indian Health Organisation} since 1982, which is the first and the

single largest NGO in the world in AIDS awareness. He has several firsts to his

credit: India's first AIDS Awareness campaign, first AIDS Clinic, first Mobile

AIDS Clinic, first successful AIDS intervention project 'Saheli' for Sex

Workers, first AIDS Counseling Centre, first AIDS Hotline, first Anonymous HIV

testing centre and first Coprehensive HIV Management Clinic.

Born in a large orthodox family in Latur and brought up with lots of hardship,

Dr. Gilada has come a long way in bringing Mumbai on AIDS control map of the

world, carrying out social reforms through medical profession in tackling

sensitive issues like prostitution and AIDS. He had travelled to more than 30

countries, presented 170 research papers at several international meetings,

addressed over 4000 public meetings and training programs in India covering 16

states. He has more than 55 awards to his credit, including the Annemarie

Madisan International AIDS Award-1999, endowed with Rs.250,000/- in Germany in

recognition of his work for AIDS-patients in India describing him as 'the Indian

Machinegun against AIDS'. He had organised several national and global meets

including the World Congress on AIDS in Mumbai in 1990.

In response, Dr. Gilada thanked the Governing Board of Uttarpradeshiya Mahasangh

for the honour accepted it with utmost humility. He said, such encouragements

and recognitions would go a long way in furthering my aims and objectives in the

service of humanity through the PHO. He said, I regard this award more than the

International Award, as this is the recognition in my Karma-bhoomi; where I have

spent over 20 years of public life.

Dr. Ghanshyam Bhimani, Associate Secretary- PHO