UN begins AIDS project for Indian Army

February 20, 2005

UN begins AIDS project for Army

IANS [sATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19,2005 01:25:44 PM]

KOLKATA: India's border guard and health authorities are

implementing a UNDP-aided anti-AIDS project among thousands of

paramilitary troopers.

A pilot project, the effort would be extended to cover more wings of

the country's armed forces and even other countries of the region if

successful.

The programme has been christened 'Project Prahari', which is

expected to build a framework for sustained HIV/AIDS prevention and

care among the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel and their

families.

The project aims to reduce the HIV/AIDS vulnerability of select

cadres of the defence services with a focus on young recruits.

According to information posted on the website of UN's AIDS

prevention wing called UNAIDS, the project aims to strengthen their

capacity to expand outreach into the communities and families of

recruits through integration of HIV/AIDS prevention and care into

their existing goodwill programmes.

The programme, to run during 2004-06, is being executed by the UNDP,

the West Bengal State AIDS Prevention and Control Society and the

UNDP Regional HIV and Development Programme, India.

The UNAIDS is providing more than half of the total project cost of

$272,600.

The primary beneficiaries of the project include about 23,000

troopers, specially the young recruits and their families.

Secondary beneficiaries include sex workers, anti-trafficking

networks and non-government organisations.

The project was chosen for implementation among border guards

because they live away from home for months and are " exposed to

interactions with a variety of people " .

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