How we can make a project area PLHA friendly

[Guest guest]

How we can make a project area PLHA friendly

Addressing Stigma and Discrimination at the community level

1+ to 5000+ - our success story – how we did it? T T

By

Dr. K.I. .B.Sc,M.B.B.S,P.hD.

Director,St. ’s Trust/ACFI,

Samalkot.

E-mail: <kodiyattu_jacob@...>

_____________________________

A word about us … AIDS control Foundation of India – (ACFI) HIV/AIDS control and

care and support initiative of St. ’s Trust, spear heading the war against

HIV/AIDS from 1991 has so far produced more than 1120 varieties of I.E.C. and

B.C.C Materials on HIV/AIDS, which is a world record. Through our Care and

support model i.e. home/community owned care and support, we are taking care of

more than 5218 PLHAs including 236 HIV infected children in 7 Mandals 3(Blocks)

out of 57 Mandals in East Godavari District – one of the Hyper-endemic districts

in Andhra Pradesh.

Since our home and community based care and support is community based, we have

changed the word community based by community owned i.e. Home/Community owned

care and support program. And we were the first to introduce the ultimate

answer to HIV/AIDS i.e. the unique initiative - prevention linked care and

support. Also we were one among the few to develop a care and support model

which goes a long way in addressing stigma and discrimination and to make any

project area PLHA friendly. That is why our home and community owned care and

support program is being accepted and recognized as one of the best models in

the whole world.

The First HIV case reported to St. ’s Trust happened to be Mr. M. Raju in

the year 1992 and we are happy to announce that he survived with out A.R.V. for

12 years and now he is on A.R.V.

Already a 1000 plus Government and Non-Governmental institutions both from with

in the country and out side the country has visited St. ’s Trust to study

our Home/Community owned care and support program. Majority of the visitors have

already implemented our model in their project area.

A few reflections of our visitors.

“Even in UK, USA still there is stigma and discrimination and it is amazing to

see how St. ’s Trust could address stigma and discrimination in their

project area” Dr. Satya Dandekar NIH. California.

St. ’s Trust’s care and support model is one of the best models in the world

we have seen. Dr. Carl Steckar and Sister Ann – CRS- Baltimore.

If we have one good organization like St. ’s Trust in every district,

HIV/AIDS will not be a problem for Inida. Chandramouli I.A.S. previous Project

Director APSACS, Hyderabad

I have learnt a lot of good things especially in the field of HIV/AIDS from St.

’s Trust. Even after leaving the district I will be ever cherishing my close

association with St. ’ Trust. Dr.K.S. Jawahar Reddy I.A.S. District

Collector, E.G.Dist.

St.’s Trust through its humble work has shown a way for others as to how we

can address stigma and discrimination and make any project area PLHA friendly.

Through the following activities in 7 Mandals (Blocks) we could address stigma

and discrimination and PLHA are able to live a life in dignity with out any

stigma and discrimination. PLHA are able to run mini hotels, sell all kinds of

eatables(Fruits and Vegetables), sell Milk and Milk products and could work as

servers in hotels, sweet stalls and female PLHA working as servant maids etc.

with out any stigma and discrimination.

Out of 236 HIV infected children, more than 100 are studying from L.K.G. to 10+

level in private and government schools and colleges with out any stigma and

discrimination(NDTV has made a documentary nearly 3 years back showing how

HIV/AIDS infected children are studying in private and government schools with

out any stigma and discrimination).

Important activities to address stigma and discrimination.

1. Counseling

2. Medical Support- Treatment of opportunistic infections (OIS).

3. Training

(a)Staff Training

(b)Self Care/Care Givers Training

©Peer Educators/Volunteers Training

4. Goodwill Meetings

5. Linkages – Referral Services

(a)District Tuberculosis Center(DTC) for DOTs

(b)Temporary Hospitalization Wards for serious patients.

©VCTC (Voluntary Counseling Testing Centre)

(d)PPTCT (Prevention of Parent to Child Transmission)

6. Emergency Services, Burial expenses etc.

7. National Family Benefit Scheme/Widow Pensions and other schemes

8. Grama Sabha (Janmabhoomi) for awareness

9. Medical Care of Infected Children

10.Nutritional Support

11.Special Nutrition to HIV infected Children

12.Children’s Care(Affected children)

13.Linkages and Referral Services to Children

14.Picnics, Tours for Children

15. House to House campaign—Intense I.E.C. and B.C.C activities.

16. Community based rehabilitation (C.B.R)

17. Income Generation Activities

18. Community Mobilization

19. Self Help Groups(Credit and Thrift groups)

20. GIPA/MIPA (Meaningful involvement of people living with HIV/AIDS)

21. CNP+ (Networks of Positives)

22. Positive Speaker’s forum

23. Advocacy

24. Involving the District Administration Mainly the District Collector—DRDA,SC

Society etc.(Multi-Sectoral approach)

Lessons learned :

Entry point activities like Nutritional support, Medical support, Loans etc. a

must

Participatory teaching methods/ Training – a big failure in India.

Counseling is nothing but “LOVE IN ACTION”.

The biggest resource for any HIV/AIDS control and care and support program are

the PLHA.

Any effort to control HIV/AIDS with out an answer to PLHA problems will be

futile.

Prevention and care and support programs must be holistic.

Any strategy must address not only the high risk groups but the whole community.

HIV/AIDS is both a medical and a social problem- A big threat to development.

Prevention and care & support are the two sides of a coin (prevention linked

care).

An Infected/Affected widow being not helped through care and support program

will be the next sex worker.

The ideal budget allocation for HIV/AIDS should be 60% for prevention and 40%

for care and support.

Intensive I.E.C. and B.C.C. activities goes a long way in addressing stigma and

discrimination.(one to one approach) and prevention.

MIPA is the most important component to address stigma and discrimination.

Involving district administration is critical.(Multi-Sectoral Approach)

Any effort to control HIV/AIDS with out community support will be futile.

The soldiers for HIV/AIDS prevention and control/care and support are the grass

root level social workers.

Class room based trainings, capacity building program etc. will not help in

improving the quality of life of PLHA or prevention activities.

Any effort to control HIV/AIDS with out addressing stigma and discrimination and

making the project area PLHA friendly will be futile.

Creating 100% awareness is the key to success.

Prevention linked care is the only weapon to win the war against HIV/AIDS.

_____________________________________

Acknowledgments: We sincerely acknowledge our special thanks to

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Hyderabad/Delhi, Family Health International

(FHI)-Hyderabad/Delhi.USAID-Delhi., India HIV/AIDS Alliance, New Delhi.,

Vasavya Mahila Mandali, Vijayawada. APASACS, Hyderabad., District Collector,

E.G.Dist., Nodal Officer, AIDS, E.G.Dist., Dr. Shyamalarao Kadambari

(England)., CCF-India- Hyderabad/Bangalore., Coastal Network of Positive

People (CNP+)., Dr. Satya Dandekar, University of California(NIH)., Staff

of St.’s Trust., P.C.I. (Project Concern International) Delhi., Children

Investment Fund Foundation (UK)., Mr. Emmanuel Roman (UK)., CANA- New

Delhi., EFFICOR-New Delhi., and the community members for all the support we

have received from them both financial and emotional and the trust they have

placed with us which enabled us to address stigma and discrimination and make

our project area PLHA friendly.

Dr.K.I.,

Chief Executive,

St. ’s Trust,

Opp. MRO office,

Samalkot – 533 440,

East Godavari District,

Andhra Pradesh.

Ph: 0884- 2327634

Fax: 0884-2329699

Cell No:9866188964

E – Mail: stpacfi@..., drkijacob@...,

Kodiyattu_jacob@...

Web Site:www.aidscontrol.org