Fund crunch forces NGOs to quit HIV prevention project

Shortage of condoms, drugs leave project in tatters; officials assure speedy redressal.

HIV prevention project, HIV project, Targetted Intervention, HIV prevention programme, pune news, indian express

The Samapathik Trust, coordinated by Bindumadhav Khire, which provided interventions to men having sex with men and other high risk groups has shut shop due to lack of funds.

An acute fund crunch has led to some NGOs walking out of the HIV prevention programme and the ones that continue to provide interventions are struggling to make ends meet. “We have not paid salaries to as many as 63 peer educators who reach out to the high risk group of sex workers and others creating awareness about HIV and giving condoms since April,” says Seema Waghmode, in-charge of the Targetted Intervention (TI) project at Kayakalp.

Kayakalp is among one of the 17 NGOs in Pune district authorised by the Maharashtra State AIDS Control Society (MSACS) to provide targetted interventions. In Pune city, Kayakalp provides interventions to more than 1,000 female sex workers at Budhwar Peth. “We have two projects and the supply of at least 3 lakh condoms has dried up since long,” Waghmode added.

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The Samapathik Trust, coordinated by Bindumadhav Khire, which provided interventions to men having sex with men and other high risk groups has shut shop due to lack of funds.

Kalyani Patil, Pune district programme officer of MSACS admitted that there has been a severe fund crunch and huge delay in sending instalments to NGOs conducting TI projects. Out of 17 NGOs, at least four have quit the project, while others are barely managing by taking bank loans to pay the salaries of their shoe-string staff.

Condom, ART drug shortage
As against more than two lakh condoms required every month for TI projects and Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres (ICTCs) in Pune, the supply has been inadequate for the last few months. At some Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) centres like in Ahmednagar, NGOs like Snehalaya have to spend Rs 3,000 every day in procuring Nevirapine drug for 20 HIV positive children since the last six days.
Kalyani Patil too admitted that there is a shortage but authorities try to procure the drugs from other states. Instead of a month’s supply, the patient is then given free drugs only to last for 10 days.

When contacted , National Health Mission Director for Maharashtra, IA Kundan, who has been given additional charge of MSACS project director, assured that the crisis would be met soon as the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) has released an instalment of Rs 20 crore. “They have also assured supply of condoms by October-end,” Kundan said.

Meanwhile, Patil said that the Pune Municipal Corporation’s AIDS control society has helped provide condoms to tide over the current crisis.

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Now lab technicians, counsellors agitate
Adding to the impasse is also a non-cooperation agitation across the state from October 1 by over 2,000 laboratory technicians and counsellors working at ICTCs and ART centres. In Pune, Sandeep Kulte, president of the district unit of Maharashtra state AIDS control employees association, said that there are 42 ICTCs in Pune and six ART and 12 link ART centres. “For the last two years, we have not received arrears and now while services are being provided to the patients, we have stopped sending data and information about them to the government,” Kulte said.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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