Plight of PLHA Drop in Centres under NACP III

[Guest guest]

Dear AIDS INDIA FORUM Members,

Can someone explain what is really there in the National AIDS Control Programme

Phase III for the PLHIV?

Providing ART drug; creating awareness; targeted intervention for MSM, FSW and

IDU (not all drug users); providing Nevirapine for HIV positive mother and baby;

and doing massive HIV test do the magic of reversing the HIV epidemic?

 

Seriously, can someone please explain? In NACP II, there were Drop in Centers

for PLHA and I really don¢t know how these centers were functioning in other

states, but in Nagaland, the DICs' role cannot be overemphasized.

Let me just give a gist of services these centers delivered:

Counseling for PLHIV beyond post test counseling

Counseling for affected families who are more worried then the PLHIV most times.

Home base care

Providing accompanied referral to healthcare facilities for medical check up,

treatment of Opportunistic Infections, CD4 Count, ART and recently, the

co-infection of  HIV/TB seems to be in the raise and not a single working day

pass without one or two staff going to the District TB Centre with some PLHIV.

Follow up on drug adherence. (Sometimes when the spirit is low, taking drugs

every day is not very self motivating. A kind or concern word makes a hell lot

of a differences).

Reducing stigma and discrimination in homes and close communities of PLHIV by

giving information on HIV/AIDS and living by example.

Advocacy at all level.

Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS by capacitating PLHIV.

Networking with other government agencies for other additional supports.

Vocational trainings, nutrition, etc.

Creating separate spaces for support group meetings for PLHIV, their affected

families and care givers.

Creating a platform for affected and infected children to meet and know each

other, impart life skills, listen to their concerns and clarifying their doubts.

Capacitating PLHIV through trainings.

Facilitating learning exposure trips for PLHIV.

Motivating and supporting brave and willing PLHIV to open up and give HIV a

human face.

Creating platforms where PLHIV can meet stakeholders and bring about changes in

all aspects.

Provide Peer counseling for PLHIV and also their families. All the Drop In

Centres have PLHIV as staffs in all capacities. They motivate other PLHIV by

example.

 

The above is just some of the routine activities of those in the DICs.  Some of

the ¡not so regular activities¢ are: Running to the labour room to be with an

expecting mother in the early mornings; crying with the families as they bury

their love one and standing by them to say, ¡you did your best to make sure he

was not in pain in his last days¢; counseling a bride-to-be for HIV test to

clear the doubts of her in-laws-to-be; sharing the joy of PLHIV as they get

married; crying with the young parents tears of joy when they find out their

child does not have the virus; or go to the other extreme of consoling the

self-condemning parents that other children are responding very well to ART

treatment and to treasure their baby everyday and not to worry; reason with

family members why a second chance be not given to someone who wants to change

their lifestyle (HIV did come to Nagaland through illicit drug route but now

alcohol seems to be the mode of transportation HIV).

 

In NACP III, forget about replicating such centres in other districts, the

budget for the existing centres have been slashed and to add to that agony, the

budget for 2008-09 has not been release yet. For the past 5 months, there has

been no clear instruction as to whether the staffs have to be laid or will the

project continue.

If these centres are to be discontinues, the dues of the past 5 months have to

be cleared and sufficient notice has to be given to enable gentle transition for

those PLHIV who are working in these centres, from being a motivators to 

becoming jobless again.

Professionals who refer their patients and clients to the DICs, have to be

informed and the PLHIV have to be informed that they will have to fend on their

own and those who were supporting them will now have to go out and search for

livelihood options.

In fact, we owe it to the people of Nagaland to inform them that this centres

are not providing for anymore.

 

Who is going to be concern enough to clarify what is really there in NACP III

for Care and Support program?

Is it the national program or is it NSACS not doing enough for the care of

PLHIV? Or, are we seriously just playing the number game? This many tested, this

many positive; This many such and such centres; this many counselors and lab

technicians (and the regular complaint of their irregularities... not that I

have verified though); this many manpower in SACS office (at least in NSACS we

have a PLHIV who is the PLHA coordinator unlike most other states!) this many

programs organised for such and such .....who is monitoring whether an impact is

being made.

 

Will someone please beg NSACS to release our budget for this year, (we have done

all the begging we can without losing our dignity) and most importantly,

advocate to NACO that this program has to continue and also inform NACO that

there is no guideline for PLHA DIC in circulation. (They have guidelines for

almost all other programs).

Please be the missing link.

 

PS: If this mail tastes bitter, the writer is burntout and almost showing signs

of insanity so please take the bitterness with a hand full of salt!!

 

Bazo 

e-mail: <bazo_kire@...>