HIV/AIDS Campaign in Dehradun, Uttarakhand

[Guest guest]

Greetings from Uttarakhand,

Mamta Samajik Sanstha, Dehra Dun observed a fortnight long HIV/AIDS Prevention

campaign from 24th November to 7th December,2008 to mark the occasion of World

AIDS Day on 1st Dec, 2008 in the city of Dehradun by organizing  various

activities.

Mamta, convened the message of prevention of HIV/AIDS on World AIDS Day i.e. 1st

December,2008 by putting red ribbons on the chest of more than 2000 people from

different walk of lives, particularly migrant labourers, youth, truck & taxi

drivers, women, etc.

Earlier, Mamta Samajik Sanstha, Dehra Dun in collaboration with USACS & AHF

India Cares conducted week long activities from 24th Nov. ?01 Dec., 2008 to mark

the occasion of World AIDS Day i.e. 1st Dec, 2008.

As a first step Mamta has undertaken Awareness drive in various public places &

slums of Dehradun like Gandhi Park, Ghanta Ghar, Parade Ground, Taxi stand,

Transport Nagar, Kanwali Road, Seema Dwar, Prem Nagar, Nanda Ki Chowki, Garhi,

Deep Nagar, Bhagat Singh Colony, Sanjay Colony, Puran Basti,Nai Basti Balbir

Road, Karanpur, Rajpur Road, Bakralwala, Dobhalwala, Nashville Road, Jakhan,

Rajpur, Tarla Adhoiwala, Sapera Basti, Shahastradhara chowk and lime factory

areas etc. through Exhibition, Banners, Posters, Puppet shows, Flash cards, etc.

We reached to approximately 50,000 populations through our publicity material

and exhibition.

As a second step Mamta team provided counseling separately to those high risk

persons who sought our support for more information on HIV / AIDS. We reached

around 6,000 high risk people with more information and encouraged them to go

for HIV Test if they suspect or voluntarily want to do so.

As a third step we did HIV screening of people who showed interest for HIV

testing during individual and small groups counseling conducted by our

counselors.

 

We filled up consent form of each individual before doing HIV Test through a

Testing Kit provided by AHF India Cares. Pretest counseling was done with each

person. All relevant aspects of HIV testing, including indications, benefits,

risks, window period and testing and treatment facilities available within govt

health system were discussed and informed to the person in language that he/she

could understand. Flash cards were also used during individual and small groups

counseling.

 

We also asked questions about their sexual behavior and STI episode in the past.

Finally we asked them about their perception of risk or why do they want to go

for test?

For example: is it voluntary, unprotected sex, Blood Transfusion, Mother to

Child or Injecting Drug use?

 

We have done total 493 HIV test from 1st to 7th December,2008 in different parts

of Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India covering migrant labourers, Truck and Taxi

drivers, youth, women and female sex workers etc.

As a result of 493 HIV screening, we found only one person as HIV positive.

Rests were found negative. However, 162 persons reported episode of STI and 205

have reported having unprotected sex.

We referred one HIV positive person and 120 suspected cases who had unprotected

sex with multiple partners including female sex workers and persons currently

having STI problems with post counseling and referral slips to I.C.T.C., Doon

Hospital, Dehra Dun for further counseling, testing & ART services.

 

We ensured that the person, who was found positive, must visit ICTC and get full

support for further testing and treatment. We are maintaining full

confidentiality while dealing with HIV Positive and high risk people.

Mamta conducted its campaign on Prevention of HIV/AIDS from 24 November to 07

December, 2008 with the help of its team comprising with 3 counselors, 3 Lab

Technicians, one staff Nurse and 8 volunteers under the guidance and supervision

of the Chief Functionary, Mr J.M.Singh and Chief Coordinator, Ms Beena Walia.

Mamta Sanstha is very much encouraged by overwhelming response from the people

despite of existing stigma and misconception about HIV/AIDS. We feel happy that

we could fight well with the stigma during our awareness drive and small groups

counseling and got success to some extent to release terror of HIV/AIDS out of

mind set of the people. We can say that we have created an enabling environment

to fight against the dreaded disease.

It is not only HIV/AIDS; we conveyed the message of prevention of TB as well

during our campaign. We come across many people during the campaign with sign

and symptoms of TB.

Hence, Mamta will develop its strategic plan based on lesson learnt during the

campaign and implement its TB & HIV/AIDS prevention programme as per need of the

community.

With commitment to better health care to the common people, particularly to

people living with HIV/AIDS and TB.

Sincerely,

J.M. Singh,

Chief Functionary

Mamta Samajik Sanstha

53-C,Rajpur Road,Dehradun

Uttarakhand,India

www.mamtasanstha.org

e-mail: <mamtasanstha@...>