A career of pioneering work
Dr. Gilada was among the first doctors in India to raise the alarm about AIDS in 1985. He identified some of the earliest HIV infections in the country and established India's first AIDS clinic at Mumbai's J.J. Hospital in 1986.
His early clinical work included the health of communities that were often neglected or misunderstood. That experience continues to shape a practice grounded in curiosity, clinical judgement, dignity and the understanding that there is always a person behind the diagnosis.
- Established India's first AIDS clinic at J.J. Hospital in 1986
- Established India's first private HIV clinic in 1995
- Founded Asian Solidarity Against AIDS in 1991
- Initiated, supervised or evaluated AIDS projects across seven Indian states
- Trained doctors, nurses, counsellors, social workers and medical students in HIV and TB-HIV care
Community health and advocacy
Dr. Gilada established the People's Health Organisation–India to address the medical and social challenges faced by marginalised communities. Its Saheli and PHO-Wadia programmes were recognised among UNAIDS Best Practices.
Access to treatment has remained central to his work. Since 1998, he has advocated for affordable life-saving medicines through the principle of patients before patents and supported the role of Indian manufacturers in expanding access to antiretroviral therapy across the Global South.
Leadership, research and teaching
He served on the Governing Council of the International AIDS Society from 2018 to 2026, including as Asia-Pacific Chair from 2024 to 2026. He is President Emeritus of the AIDS Society of India and Secretary General of the People's Health Organisation–India and the Organised Medicine Academic Guild.
Dr. Gilada has published or presented extensively, contributed to medical education, and organised or chaired major national and international conferences on HIV, STIs and public health.
Books
The Blunting of an Epidemic — A Courageous War on AIDS, by Jayashree and Gopal Shetty, documents his four-decade journey in HIV/AIDS. Infectious Intimacies draws on his experiences in sexually transmitted infections and sexual health.
