UNESCO Handbook for India: A Cultural approach to HIV/AIDS Prevention and care

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A Cultural approach to HIV/AIDS Prevention and care

UNESCO Handbook for India .

National level Consultation on Cultural Approach to HIV/AIDS

Prevention and Care

Together with the Division of Cultural Policies of UNESCO

Headquarters, UNESCO Office in New Delhi undertook a study on the

`Cultural and Behavioural Dimensions of HIV/AIDS Prevention Health

Care in India', with a view to identify gaps in the level of knowledge

and to encourage academicians/researchers from University Departments

of Social Anthropology, Sociology and Psychology to undertake action

research.

A report entitled " Cultural Approach to HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care:

Towards a Handbook for India ? Overall assessment ? Case Studies ?

Strategies/Conclusions/ Recommendations " has been published. Critical

findings including in-depth analysis of cultural dimensions of

HIV/AIDS prevention and care gives a lead to strengthening the

national HIV prevention programme at the policy level.

A high level National Consultation is planned during the end of August

2002, with academicians, researchers and NGOs, to disseminate the

findings and to enhance the capacities of researchers to conduct

action research using the cultural approach for policy refinement and

for more effective implementation.

In India, diversity is the most prominent feature of culture at the

level of the Union as well as in its various regions, states, large

cities and linguistic, spiritual and religious communities. It

provides further evidence of the fruitfulness of considering culture

as the core reality in securing relevance, efficiency and

sustainability of prevention and care policies and projects.

The UNESCO Culture Sector has developed a Handbook for India . It is

meant to be an instrument for taking a cultural approach to HIV/AIDS

in the country. It presents and describes a set of methodological and

pedagogical proposals to be implemented in planning and training

activities as well as in pilot projects undertaken in India.

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Shankar Chowdhury (India)

National Officer, HIV/AIDS

UNESCO New Delhi Office

UNESCO House, B-5/29, Safdarjung Enclave

New Delhi - 110 029, India

Tel: (91-11) 6713000

Fax: (91-11) 6713001, 6713002

E-mail: newdelhi@...

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To download a copy of the handbook please visit the url:

http://portal.unesco.org/ev.php?URL_ID=3312 & URL_DO=DO_TOPIC & URL_SECTION=201=

& reload=1030959351

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