NACO & Phony Ngos in India (Correspondence) (National AIDS Control Organization) (Nongovernmental Organizations‪)‬

Sir, The content of the letter by Pace and Bagasra (1) is a repeat of their letter in Nature Medicine, which they did not cite--both lapses are unfair in science journalism (2). They stated that the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) has already "dismissed nearly 350 [phony] NGOs," but then superciliously admonish that "NACO must clean up phony NGOs in India" (1). Their facts are also faulty (3). Contracts were terminated in the case of 176 NGOs as they were found to be corrupt or inefficient by NACO's internal review (3). Contracts with 172 NGOs were terminated because their activities did not match the new programme focus in the third phase of NACO beginning in 2007 (3).