NGOs in India making a difference in the lives of PWHA
“Go to the people…live with them… learn from them… love them ... start with what they know and build with what they have ...”
These inspiring words by Lao Tsu, the famous Chinese philosopher were quoted by Mr. Apurva Dave from the Association of Rural People and Nature (ARPAN) during a session held at the International Conference on community care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS in Mumbai, India (7-9 December 2004). ARPAN is an NGO working on HIV and development in Himmatnagar, Gujarat state, India and a partner of the AIDS-Care-Watch campaign. (www.aidscarewatch.org)
The need for people living with HIV/AIDS (PWHA) to participate in the process of designing HIV/AIDS prevention programmes was stated repeatedly throughout the conference. Paradoxically however, people living with HIV/AIDS are often reluctant to become involved because of the pervasive HIV/AIDS related stigma and discrimination that adversely impacts their health and social well-being.
ARPAN works closely with PWHA in its prevention and care programs to ensure that the voices of PWHA and those affected by the epidemic are recognized and brought to the decision and policy making settings. This inclusive human rights-based approach to AIDS prevention programmes was the first of its kind to be launched in the state of Gujarat, India.
With the increasing barriers faced by PWHA for access to essential services, ARPAN is supporting them and their families by providing counseling, referrals for treatment, and nutritional support, including the provision of nutritional supplements and information. The formation of the PWHA self-help group ‘Jagruti’ has been an important feature of prevention responses. The group was initially established to provide moral support among the members, and now serves as the voice of people with HIV/AIDS and provides opportunities for skills building within the local community.
Dr Murukute Milind, a general practitioner, ayurvedic medicine consultant and yoga instructor in Maharashtra state spoke on the issue of doctors caring for patients living with HIV. Dr. Milind emphasized the need for counselling services and acknowledged that doctors themselves often make ideal counsellors.
Counselling is an important component in the care of persons living with HIV. Because many people seek help from their family doctor, it is essential that doctors are trained with the requisite skills to undertake the task. Counselling is based on the give-and-take interaction between a client and a care provider, with the aim of empowering the client to self-manage stress and make informed personal decisions related to his or her HIV/AIDS care, treatment and support.
Counseling sessions should include evaluating the risk of HIV transmission and information on how to prevent HIV-associated infections. Doctors who effectivley communicate the most up-to-date information on HIV/AIDS management and treatment to their patients will undoubtedly improve and extend lives. In addition, training doctors in HIV/AIDS counseling sensitises them to the issues facing those living with HIV, decreasing the associated stigma (especially in health care settings), which often keeps people from accessing health services.
Dr Vibha Marfatia from ‘Sahas’ –an NGO based in Surat, Gujarat state India, also spoke about developing an effective response for care and support of PWHA, through the vision of ‘Sahas’ - to uphold human rights and support vulnerable populations.
The ‘Sahas’ response provides appropriate care linked with prevention services, which provides multiple benefits for the individual and community. The key component of their comprehensive care and support continuum is the referral system developed between ‘Sahas’ and voluntary counseling and testing centres (VCTC), government hospitals, urban health centres and private medical practitioners. The referral services help PWHA access appropriate levels of care according to their health needs. Services provided by ‘Sahas’ include psychosocial counseling, support groups, general health clinics, treatment of opportunistic infections (OIs), nutritional support, home and hospital visits, support to children, and provision of subsidized antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. Their programme also provides linkages with the tuberculosis (TB) control programme.
The goal of ‘Sahas’ is to provide psychosocial and medical care and support for positive living and empowerment. Roughly 600 PWHA and 130 children living with or affected by HIV are served by the project. Twenty-five PWHA are being provided with ARV drugs through a pilot project aimed at supplying subsidized ARVs to those in need.
The model is based on a shared responsibility between people living with HIV/AIDS, donor agencies, ‘Sahas’ and health workers. The model aims to reduce drop-out rates, increase the provision of appropriate education, and provide counseling and nutritional support. Some challenges found in the pilot include the need to provide continuous motivation to PWHA and difficulty in getting PWHA volunteers on an ongoing basis.
Support for PWHA is directed by ethical guidelines to provide health and care services to those living with and affected by HIV/AIDS- especially persons who are marginalized and/or poor- and ensuring that services are accessible to all without discrimination according to age, gender, life-style, or economic status.
HDN Key Correspondent
Email: Correspondents@hdnet.org
(Report from the International Commuity Care and Support Conference for People Living with HIV/AIDS, Mumbai India, December 2004)
These inspiring words by Lao Tsu, the famous Chinese philosopher were quoted by Mr. Apurva Dave from the Association of Rural People and Nature (ARPAN) during a session held at the International Conference on community care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS in Mumbai, India (7-9 December 2004). ARPAN is an NGO working on HIV and development in Himmatnagar, Gujarat state, India and a partner of the AIDS-Care-Watch campaign. (www.aidscarewatch.org)
The need for people living with HIV/AIDS (PWHA) to participate in the process of designing HIV/AIDS prevention programmes was stated repeatedly throughout the conference. Paradoxically however, people living with HIV/AIDS are often reluctant to become involved because of the pervasive HIV/AIDS related stigma and discrimination that adversely impacts their health and social well-being.
ARPAN works closely with PWHA in its prevention and care programs to ensure that the voices of PWHA and those affected by the epidemic are recognized and brought to the decision and policy making settings. This inclusive human rights-based approach to AIDS prevention programmes was the first of its kind to be launched in the state of Gujarat, India.
With the increasing barriers faced by PWHA for access to essential services, ARPAN is supporting them and their families by providing counseling, referrals for treatment, and nutritional support, including the provision of nutritional supplements and information. The formation of the PWHA self-help group ‘Jagruti’ has been an important feature of prevention responses. The group was initially established to provide moral support among the members, and now serves as the voice of people with HIV/AIDS and provides opportunities for skills building within the local community.
Dr Murukute Milind, a general practitioner, ayurvedic medicine consultant and yoga instructor in Maharashtra state spoke on the issue of doctors caring for patients living with HIV. Dr. Milind emphasized the need for counselling services and acknowledged that doctors themselves often make ideal counsellors.
Counselling is an important component in the care of persons living with HIV. Because many people seek help from their family doctor, it is essential that doctors are trained with the requisite skills to undertake the task. Counselling is based on the give-and-take interaction between a client and a care provider, with the aim of empowering the client to self-manage stress and make informed personal decisions related to his or her HIV/AIDS care, treatment and support.
Counseling sessions should include evaluating the risk of HIV transmission and information on how to prevent HIV-associated infections. Doctors who effectivley communicate the most up-to-date information on HIV/AIDS management and treatment to their patients will undoubtedly improve and extend lives. In addition, training doctors in HIV/AIDS counseling sensitises them to the issues facing those living with HIV, decreasing the associated stigma (especially in health care settings), which often keeps people from accessing health services.
Dr Vibha Marfatia from ‘Sahas’ –an NGO based in Surat, Gujarat state India, also spoke about developing an effective response for care and support of PWHA, through the vision of ‘Sahas’ - to uphold human rights and support vulnerable populations.
The ‘Sahas’ response provides appropriate care linked with prevention services, which provides multiple benefits for the individual and community. The key component of their comprehensive care and support continuum is the referral system developed between ‘Sahas’ and voluntary counseling and testing centres (VCTC), government hospitals, urban health centres and private medical practitioners. The referral services help PWHA access appropriate levels of care according to their health needs. Services provided by ‘Sahas’ include psychosocial counseling, support groups, general health clinics, treatment of opportunistic infections (OIs), nutritional support, home and hospital visits, support to children, and provision of subsidized antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. Their programme also provides linkages with the tuberculosis (TB) control programme.
The goal of ‘Sahas’ is to provide psychosocial and medical care and support for positive living and empowerment. Roughly 600 PWHA and 130 children living with or affected by HIV are served by the project. Twenty-five PWHA are being provided with ARV drugs through a pilot project aimed at supplying subsidized ARVs to those in need.
The model is based on a shared responsibility between people living with HIV/AIDS, donor agencies, ‘Sahas’ and health workers. The model aims to reduce drop-out rates, increase the provision of appropriate education, and provide counseling and nutritional support. Some challenges found in the pilot include the need to provide continuous motivation to PWHA and difficulty in getting PWHA volunteers on an ongoing basis.
Support for PWHA is directed by ethical guidelines to provide health and care services to those living with and affected by HIV/AIDS- especially persons who are marginalized and/or poor- and ensuring that services are accessible to all without discrimination according to age, gender, life-style, or economic status.
HDN Key Correspondent
Email: Correspondents@hdnet.org
(Report from the International Commuity Care and Support Conference for People Living with HIV/AIDS, Mumbai India, December 2004)
posted by AIDS-Care-Watch at 11:41 am
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