New technologies to spread HIV/AIDS information to unprivileged population in India

Jay writes “Maitrayee Ghosh, now at the Indian Institute of Technology, presented a paper at the World Library and Information Congress: 71st IFLA General Conference and Council “Libraries – A voyage of discovery” on the role of information professionals, public libraries and how together they can employ E-learnig and new technologies to spread HIV/AIDS information to unprivileged population in India.

Complete paper can be accessed from:

Save the society from an AIDS epidemic: Indian Public libraries in the current perspective.

Excerpt from the paper:
“Info-Thela” project of Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur:

A project called “Info-thela,” or “info-cart” aims to use wireless technology to disseminate
health information and improve health care in India’s villages, where most of the country’s 1.06 billion people live. It aims to improve public health by facilitating the flow of health information, using the Internet. The core elements of the project are content, Internet connectivity and capacity building. The Info-thela cart has a specially designed frame and cushioning to protect the computer and accessories from the bumpy ride. The mobile
platform is necessary to reduce cost of ownership because the resources are shared by a larger population. It is also necessary to push information to women and elderly people who can’t travel outside their village.”