In poll aid, Sushma recalls HIV-hit Bellary

The area is counted among the high prevalence districts in the country, with about three per cent of the population affected by the disease — as compared to 0.8 per cent in the country. The rest of the state has a much lower prevalence at 1.7 per cent.

‘‘This programme will be the first of its kind where all the health machinery would be integrated and HIV/AIDS would be looked at in a holistic manner,’’ said National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) project director Meenakshi Dutta Ghosh.

NACO has formed a district AIDS control society headed by the Deputy Commissioner, with members from the TB control programme, mother and child care, HIV/AIDS and members from primary and secondary healthcare. The proposed budget is Rs 15 crore. For the initial six months, NACO will provide funding while the Gates Foundation will help later.

The project is divided into four components.

• The first activity will be rapid social mapping and situation assessment. Mapping locations where new sexual partnerships are formed. It would also include assessment of high risk male population, magnitude of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases in the population and the need for a programme.

• Integrated Communication: This will include media campaigns, youth education programmes in schools and colleges and special outreach programme through NGOs. About 3,000 people are being trained to achieve the goal.

• Focussed prevention and community outreach programmes, including door to door campaigns, would also be conducted. Clinics would be based in places with large population of high risk community. Prevention activities for the sex workers would be according to their place of functioning. Whether they are based in home/hotel/highway and public places.

• Condom Marketing would be promoted with all villages with a population of at least 2,000 would have a service outlet.

• Nine hospitals would provide help for prevention of mother to child transmission of the disease. Bellary has just one hospital involved in the activity. All doctors of private and public hospitals would be trained for detection and diagnosis of the disease.