Community based HIV/AIDS prevention project – 2006

It is well known that poverty and migration are major contributing factors for the spread of HIV. These are exacerbated by poor access to healthcare services, high level of illiteracy, striking gender imbalance and week governance. HIV/AIDS also has the potential to erode economic, social and human development across the full spectrum of development gains.

To respond effectively to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, Organization  has introduced a community based, gender focused intervention on reducing transmission of HIV/AIDS ‘by capacitating and strengthening community based organizations’which  focus on:

1. Strengthening grass root capacity to prevent and control the spread of HIV.
2. Promoting greater awareness of and attention to issues surrounding HIV/AIDS.
3. Improving access to treatment, care and supportive services.
4. Reducing the stigma and discrimination of those infected with as well as those most vulnerable to HIV/AIDS.
5. Organizing community-based sensitization, behaviour change, counselling sessions and referrals in slums and low income community areas in urban Mangalore.

• Successfully reached out to over 10000 people through various prevention care management strategies.

Network of Positive People for PLWHA’s

Self-help Groups are set up by/for people living with HIV. Self-help groups can be a great source of support, help and advocacy for positive people both locally and nationally.  These provide a type of personal care and peer based psychosocial support that may not be available otherwise.

Organization is engaged in promotion of net-work of positive people which provides emotional and social support at home or in group sessions, opportunities to meet and share ideas of practical information with other people with HIV. 

Positive men, women and children are referred to this network for reducing stress, availing conflict, overcome anxiety, depression, and to make possible changes. 
 

• Presently 102 PLWHA’s (50 female 32 male and 20 children) provided support through this net-work and PLWHA’s attained the meetings regularly.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND HIV/AIDS PREVENTION PROGRAMME – 2003

The connection between psychoactive drug use and sexual behaviour has gained added relevance because of the steadily spreading AIDS epidemic. Studies have shown that there are complex associations between alcohol consumption and sexual behaviour.  The use of alcohol and other drugs has clear relevance to unprotected sexual activities and the spread of HIV infection.
The De-addiction Centre under the Sponsorship of National AIDS Control Organization, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Social Justice Empowerment, Govt. of India engage in conducting a series of preventive interventions on substance abuse and HIV/AIDS. The component of the programme are awareness on basics of HIV/AIDS, preventive counseling, Behaviour Change Communication(BCC), small group meetings, basic health issues, sex and sexuality, condom promotion, referral and follow-up service.

• Over 3,000 alcohol and drug addicts counseled through one to one, BCC communication and group education sessions.

HIV Reduction among women/female partners of addicts 

United Nations office of Drug control (UNODC) –ROSA has sanctioned a project titled “Reducing substance use related HIV vulnerability in Female Drug users and Female Partners of Male drug users. The Project aims at empowering women to make informed choices and create a concerted and convergent response towards substance & HIV/AIDS related issues in order to HIV- related vulnerabilities among women partners of male drug users and women drug users.
Base line situation assessment of vulnerability and risk practices from 50 female partners of male drug users and 10 women drug users has been conducted.

• Four Self  Help Groups of female partners of drug users and female drug users established in Moodshedde and Adyar Padavu, community and Short Stay Home and Swadhar centres. Weekly meetings organized and issues related to substance abuse and HIV/ AIDS discussed during the meetings with the help of experts.