Kutikuppala has spent most of his medical career in clinical research associated with HIV and AIDS disease. Among his achievements the large epidemiological study on the Sexual Behavior of long distance lorry drives in India which is a path breaking research that facilitated globally for a concrete strategy on prevention of HIV among truck drivers.
Having seen personally the worst affected African countries financially and health-wise due to AIDS epidemic, he initiated target group interventions with missionary zeal in hundreds of villages across Andhra Pradesh, India way back in 1986, keeping in mind the poverty, ignorance and the illiteracy of our countrymen. When the very first AIDS case was notified in India he responded spontaneously as a responsible citizen to curb menace of AIDS. Dr.Surya Rao is one of the pioneers in the area of HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment in this country. He launched a massive programme to prevent HIV/AIDS and committed for the welfare of positive people.
He conducted the country’s first major epidemiological study on the Sexual Behavior of 5709 long distance lorry drives in India which is a path breaking research that facilitated globally for a concrete strategy on prevention of HIV among truck drivers, and developed first of its kind program namely (MABs) Mobile AIDS Booths for the early prevention of HIV/AIDS in migrated construction workers colonies. This unique project was selected for presentation in Geneva AIDS International conference in 1998 and hence Dr. Rao presented it. He became a passionate advocate of HIV prevention and organized thousands of HIV/AIDS prevention public education sessions throughout state of Andhra Pradesh as early as in 1987and in many parts of India. And he conducted India’s first successful trials of triple drug therapy leading to a dramatic breakthrough in the prevention of HIV transmission through sexual route to wives and off springs among positive couples whose results he presented in Paris International Conference on AIDS in 2003.
Simultaneously, Dr. Rao conducted groundbreaking research on Free Tea Parlors as a unique concept of halting the spread of HIV in mobile populations and published the results in international journals and established CAT center for AIDS treatment as India’s first Regional AIDS Research and Treatment Center in 1990 at Sri Surya Clinic Kancharapalem. Around 10000 positive patients received treatment with all love and compassion from this center so far. He distinguished himself in the International Medical Circles for the last two decades. He addressed many National and International Conferences on the invitation of various International Universities and Institutions. Of which, ie., Geneva – Switzerland, Berlin – Germany, Manchester, Britain, Amsterdam Netherlands, Yokohama-Japan, Washington – Chicago, New York, Texas, Dallas USA, Canada, Bangkok, Durban, Cape town, Zambia, Australia, Kuala Lumpur etc., to name a few. He chaired the 3rd International conference on AIDS at Amsterdam – Netherlands in 1997 and in July 2000 he chaired a scientific session of XIII International AIDS Conference at Durban on treatment and care of positive Orphans. His name and achievements have been entered in many international publications brought out by ABI International, Indo-American WHO is WHO, 20th Century Outstanding personalities, European Commission WHO is WHO, Indo Arab WHO is WHO.He served as Visiting Professor of International Institute of Integrated Medical Sciences affiliated to World University Arizona, USA in 1998. He was interviewed by BBC, London on 18th January, 1999. As a Fellow of the Canberra University, Australia Dr. Surya Rao addressed the Australian National University in 1999. In March 2000, as a Fellow of Harvard University, Boston USA, he presented his work at Washington DC on Microbicides. During Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive Health (APCRH) at Manila Philippines in Feb-2001 he was awarded a Plaque of Appreciation.Dr.Rao was nominated as Country Alliance coordinator for India and Asia Pacific Alliance on Sexual and Reproductive Health by the International Scientific steering committee at Bangkok on 8th October 2003 being the first Indian to have this honour |
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