Target Intervention Programme Under NACO

Background: National AIDS Controlling Organization (NACO) , the Nodal agency of the country under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has been putting its best efforts to control the AIDS incidence in the country. It is implementing NACP (National AIDS Controlling Programme) in phase wise manner through NACP-I,NACP-II, NACP-III . Initially it concentrated on the sensitization and behavioral change of people and slowly it identified some High Risk Target groups. Eventually the programme aimed at implementing on the Target Groups . These implementation are done through Sub AIDS Committee at respective states otherwise called as SACs. In-turn SACS appoint NGOs at high risk areas to intervene with specified targets Groups. The organization is one such implementing partner at Raipur and Bastar district in Chhattisagrh intervening with Female Sex Workers .

Objectives: To control the further expansion of HIV infection and to reduce the STI amongst the female sex workers through an all encompassing methodology covering other social determinants of health.

Project area : 1200 FSWs in Raipur (City of Raipur ) and 800 FSWs and 200 MSM/Transgender in Bastar (City of Jagdalpur) district.

Activities : Major activities broadly include Behavioral change and communication, STI management, Condom promotion, Community sensitization, enabling environment and Information Education and Communication. The activities include regular interaction with the target group supporting them for strengthening their livelihood and ensuring good health. It touches other activities that are aimed at addressing the determining factors for the incidence.

Results & Achievements : The organization was successful in tracking the target groups and improved the testing rates and behavioral change of FSWs. It was successful in ensuring the usage of condoms by every FSW it is covering. Additionally the organization could reach 80% of FSW families for improving their lifestyle . The organization has been implementing this project for the last four years successfully and it has been receiving rave reviews in every annual evaluation. The latest evaluation of the programme awarded the organization as the best performing NGO partner in the state and continuously it has been improving the indicators in the field area. The organizations better implementation was responsible for entrusting additional High Risk site i.e Jagdalpur.

Challenges : The major challenges of the project , organization faced , include repeated change of Peer educators, penetration into the families of FSW and inadequate support from the communities due to the stigma attached, ensuring health care to the FSW by the care givers etc. Another challenge worth mentioning is the huge influence of social determinants which puts the women into the risk categories and there are inadequate attempts for addressing the social determinants. Organization is facing the biggest challenge in the project to intervene for the livelihood aspects of these risk groups. Exclusion and social stigma is being propagated by many care givers who are supposed to treat them properly.