The Indian Red Cross Society effort to curb HIV/AIDS in India

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Effort to curb HIV/AIDS in India

August 16, 2008 Indian scenario, new trends, efforts to curbThe HIV/AIDS

incidence in India is a cause of concern. About 4.58 million adults in the

country are estimated to be infected with the disease. The infection is not just

confined to high-risk groups and the trend is to spread from urban to rural

communities. The government of India has given high priority to prevent the

epidemic and several organisations are engaged in various activities.

The Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS), with a network of 650 district branches, is

in a unique position to curb the spread of the infection. Recently, the IRCS is

piloting a project which is geared to supporting HIV+ women and pre-school

children of HIV+ families, preventing the spread in communities and addressing

stigma in the society. The projectThe project is in Namakkal district of Tamil

Nadu state. Namakkal is well known for truck industries, poultry and associated

commercial activities. The truck drivers and the migrant casual workers,

predominantly in the villages, are transmitting HIV infection to their women

partners.

The project has three vital components, ‘Care and Support’ to HIV positive

women and pre-school children of HIV positive families; ‘Prevention’ in the

communities through self-help groups; and, ‘Addressing Stigma’ in the

society in general. The community centre for the purpose caters children of HIV

positive families as a play group centre; also, is a drop-in point for HIV+

women. Key features of the project are involvement of individuals of social

importance, HIV+ staff, and forming self-help groups in villages. Lessons

learnt: Although in its early stage, the pilot project is a good model to

address HIV/AIDS. In order to reach communities, addressing stigma with

innovative and multi-approach is vital.

The HIV prevalence is perhaps much higher than the recorded data. Conclusion The

alarming trend of the spread in rural communities entails stepping up of

programmes with comprehensive community approach.

http://newtrendsindia.wordpress.com/2008/08/16/effort-to-curb-hivaids-in-india/