APAC

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VHS has been in the forefront over the last decade in the country’s efforts to prevent and control AIDS through its AIDS Prevention and Control (APAC) Project, supplemented recently by the Tamil Nadu AIDS Initiative (TAI) Project.

AIDS Prevention and Control (APAC) Project

In 1995, VHS was selected by the United States Agency for International APAC Team Development (USAID) as the nodal agency for implementation of the AIDS Prevention and Control (APAC) project through NGOs in Tamil Nadu. Funded by USAID under a bilateral agreement with the Government of India (GOI), it was initially a 7-year programme, the main objectives of which were education for prevention of AIDS, behavioural change communication, enhancement of STD care services, condom promotion, and research. The successful implementation of the programme has encouraged USAID and GOI to extend the project for a further period of 5 years (till March 2007).

The specific objectives of the project are:

  • To develop programmes to reduce sexual transmission of the virus

  • To build the capacity of NGOs involved in AIDS prevention activities

  • To increase access to condoms and quality STD care services

  • To build political support for AIDS prevention and care programmes

  • To create awareness on HIV/AIDS, dispel myths, and bring positive behavior change to adopt safe sexual practicesWorld Aids Day

APAC currently partners with 48 NGOs to implement intervention programmes with vulnerable populations identified as priority groups, such as truckers, women in prostitution, industrial workers, youth in slums, and male sex workers, among others.

Some of APAC’s activities have been:

  • Establishing Demonstration Centres with a view to transfer the knowledge and skills on targeted interventions to both Government and NGOs implementing HIV Prevention programmes in the country.

  • Developing a comprehensive model of STD care for high-risk groups that combines the use of innovative behaviour change strategies to raise the demand for quality STD services and training programmes for Health Care Providers (HCPs) to meet this demand.

  • Collaborating with the private sector for increasing the sale of condoms, and training of over 6000 retailer outlets in condom marketing.

  • Undertaking research activities to gain an understanding of the behaviour of high-risk populations, as well as to assess the effectiveness of its programmes. Mapping different target groups, assessing their high-risk behaviour, estimating the prevalence of STDs in the community, assessing the quality and distribution of products and services, and community needs assessment, are some of the areas where research has been undertaken.

During the extension phase, APAC will work with more target groups. The new groups will include men having sex with men (MSMs), intravenous drug users (IVDUs), and people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).

For further information, visit APAC’s website www.apacvhs.com 

 

 

 

 

 

Tamil Nadu AIDS Initiative (TAI) Project

VHS’s Tamil Nadu AIDS Initiative (TAI) Project, which started in 2004, is supported by Avahan, the Indian AIDS Initiative of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. TAI will work towards its goals of prevention of the disease among marginalised groups.

TAI will implement prevention programs with commercial sex workers (both male and female), and will identify and address the sub-groups who have the maximum number of exposure to paid sex. TAI will cover 34,000 sex workers.

The project will aim to reinforce safe sexual practices and increase the quality of STD services for these target groups in Tamil Nadu. TAI will work to strengthen the existing services-both private and government-for rendering quality STD care management, and well-equipped clinics and trained and sensitive doctors will be available at these centres to service the target groups. STD drugs will be supplied free of cost to the patients. TAI will also address the clients of sex workers.

TAI aims to network with NGOs in the state, and is in the process of identifying capacity building organisations to train the NGO partners to implement the prevention programmes. Some of the capacity building exercises planned are orientation to the basic facts of STDs and HIV/AIDS, skills in outreach work, counselling, sensitisation exercises on sex and sexuality, communication skills, management of information systems (both financial and technical), and basic epidemiology.

TAI communication goals are to increase consistent condom use, increase STD treatment- seeking behaviour, and reduce the stigma and discrimination towards the community.

TAI will closely work with the Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, the Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society (TANSACS), AIDS Prevention and Control Project (APAC), Chennai AIDS Prevention Control Society (CAPACS), and Population Services International (PSI).

 

 
 

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