WITH a vision to accelerate the national HIV response by reaching out to the at-risk population for HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and reducing the HIV and STI new infections, Chandigarh will soon have its first Sampoorna Suraksha Kendra in Sector 22, Chandigarh. The Sampoorna Suraksha Strategy aims to strengthen the current programme efforts and provide ‘at-risk’ individuals access to combination of HIV prevention services along with access to comprehensive care services. The Chandigarh State AIDS Control Society (CSACS) has initiated a number of new measures to create awareness among the masses about modes of HIV transmission and prevention. Dr V K Nagpal, Medical Superintendent GMSH-16 joint director of health and project director of CSACS, says the need is to reach out to the areas in the city where high-risk populations reside. “The emphasis is on sensitisation, counselling, bridging gaps and most importantly addressing the stigma attached to HIV\AIDS and how prevention is the key. The Sampoorna Suraksha Strategy will target individuals who are at risk of acquiring HIV or STI due to risky behaviour of self or partners. The identification of individuals will be based on self-initiated people at ICTC, at-risk people identified through population on virtual platforms, dating websites, helplines, social networking sites, youth and adolescents of all genders who are at risk, HIV-negative spouses\partners of HIV-positive people seeking help. We ensure complete privacy and psychosocial support,” adds Dr Nagpal. An outreach manager and workers will offer HIV counselling and preventive services, diagnostic and treatment services, mental health, gender counselling on hormone replacement therapy, address co-morbidities of HIV infection and link people to different departments at GMSH-16 and GMCH-32, Chandigarh, for medical advice, and therapy, if required. The Sampoorna Suraksha strategy has been implemented only in Chandigarh and after the first centre in Sector 22, which will offer all these services, four-five centres will be opened eventually. CSACS was registered in 1998 for implementing the National AIDS Control Programme and according to Dr Nagpal, it’s through preventive methods that we can move forward. Testing, he adds, is the key and there are 12 testing centres here in Chandigarh and in all government hospitals counselling, medicines, and testing are all free of cost, with special camps for the migratory population, tracking and testing being the primary aim. CSCAS provides testing facilities at several public events, with the upcoming Rose Festival being one of the events where there will be a stall for testing. With 62 tests per thousand population, in terms of testing, Chandigarh is ranked one of the highest in India, in terms of testing, with the prevalence of HIV in Chandigarh being 0.91 per cent. “The aim is to rope in the high-risk population, which is negative, and should remain so and for the first time in the country, we will do a single-prick test for HIV, syphilis, Hepatitis B and C, all major transmittable diseases. To ensure that positive patients get the required medical help, we link them with ARTC centre, provide free medicines and treatment, and soon, we will finalise financial help of Rs 2,000 per month for HIV-positive patients to support them to have a better and more nutritious diet and also offer free bus rides to the patients visiting the ARTC centre,” explains Dr Nagpal.
