A Loss to Rural India

I was sad to read that the Voice of America's Hindi service is going off the air ["India Set to Lose Voice of America," news story, Sept. 12]. As an epidemiologist, I was an occasional guest on the VOA youth call-in show "Hello India" when the topic was HIV-AIDS prevention and treatment.

I was impressed by the show's reach: Most callers were from rural areas, and their questions and comments were engaging. More important, rural areas remain underserved for HIV prevention and treatment, and popular radio shows may be valuable in disseminating information.

SUDHA SIVARAM

Baltimore