Welcome to the Alliance for Global Education in Pune!

You are about to embark on the experience of a lifetime - one of exploration and discovery, great learning, cultural immersion, and new friendships. The Alliance staff wants you to get the most out of your experience and we know that you have many questions. These materials will help you to prepare in advance for your time abroad. If you have questions that are not addressed on our website, please do not hesitate to contact us by phone or email.

Message from the Director:

You may be aware that H1N1 has hit India, and Pune in particular.  We would like you to know that our staff in Pune is monitoring the situation very closely, as we also are from our Washington, D.C. headquarters, and we see no reason to change any plans as things stand now.

We would also like you to be aware, however, as you prepare for your upcoming semester, that you are not necessarily going into an H1N1 ‘hotspot’ but rather that you are coming from one, and that you may be seen as a contaminator rather than someone at risk of contamination.  This is certainly not a position that we, coming from the U.S., are accustomed to in going to a developing country, so please be sensitive to the concerns of your hosts, and keep this in mind as an opportunity to learn and experience being on the other side of a global pandemic.

Of course, your health and safety are our foremost concern, and our Resident Director, Prashant Kothadiya, is in personal contact with the head of Pune’s Health Department as well as with several of the city’s top physicians and hospital administrators.  Please be assured that any signs of the virus would be treated with the utmost concern, and that Pune’s medical facilities are of a level to offer high-quality, targeted care now that H1N1 has hit the local public health radar.  We do not anticipate the Indian government taking the kind of action that has affected study abroad groups in China, but will alert you if we anticipate any potential disruption to our travel plans.

Below is a list of questions you may have, and our best answers to them at this time, based on a recent conversation with the Medical Director and director of Global Health and Safety at HTH Worldwide, our international medical insurance and medevac provider.  

We will keep you posted with any developments as they occur.  In the meantime, please continue confidently with your academic and personal preparations for the upcoming semester knowing that you are in good hands!  All of us at the Alliance are keeping close tabs on this situation, and simply ask that you do your part to help minimize your potential exposure to this virus.  In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact Traci Chupik or me directly should you have any questions or concerns. 

Andrea Custodi, Ph.D.
Director

• Q:  Are there specific local hospitals/doctors upon whom we could depend for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment?

A: Yes. Our resident director is in personal contact with Pune’s Health Minister, as well as several of the city’s leading physicians and hospital administrators.  We have identified both government-designated and private hospitals where we can be confident that our students would receive first-rate care. In the event of a diagnosis, HTH Worldwide would also step in to help manage our students’ are care, and would ensure that all appropriate measures are taken.

• Q: Should students try to bring their own dose of Tamiflu?

A: No. The WHO is asking people not to hoard Tamiflu if they are not diagnosed.  Plus, there seems to be emerging resistance to Tamiflu.  Ralenza may become the treatment drug of choice.

• Q:  Can HTH help get the drugs to our students if they fall sick and there is a shortage in India?

A: Yes, they can try, but it is also possible that if there is a shortage in India there will also be a shortage worldwide.

• Q:  When will the vaccine be available?

A:  The vaccine is available now in most places across the U.S., and we do encourage students to get the vaccine before they depart. If you're not able to get the H1N1 vaccine, we encourage students to get the seasonal flu vaccine, as there does appear to be some positive benefit associated with it.

• Q: What are our recommendations?

A: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of treatment. This means:

• Frequent hand-washing and use of antibacterial gel.
• Avoiding crowded and/or enclosed places. 
• Wearing a mask – specifically an N95 surgical mask - if you are in a crowd, or while traveling.
• Pack an H1N1 prevention kit: disinfectant, mask, Tylenol, thermometer.
• Get the H1N1 or seasonal flu vaccine.