ISHA's Work on AIDS prevention and care in India

[Guest guest]

Dear forum members,

This is to introduce the work of ISHA. INDIAN SOCIETY OF HEALTH

ADMINISTRATORS, (ISHA) ISHA'S CONTRIBUTIONS: TOWARDS HIV-AIDS

PREVENTION, CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT

ISHA has made major contributions in the area of HIV-AIDS

awareness, prevention and control, since 1991, when it

became clear that HIV was emerging as a serious public health

problem in India.

A. TRAINING OF TRAINERS & COUNSELLORS

a. ISHA has organized so far twelve National Workshops on

" Action Plans for HIV-AIDS Control " , including one each in the

critically affected North Eastern States(Assam, Arunachal

Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, and Tripura),

on behalf of the Government of India, and in collaboration with

the State Governments. In each Programme, representatives from

the voluntary organizations, and senior officers of Health and

related Departments relevant to HIV Control, participated and

prepared action programmes for their respective Departments,

and Organizations, totalling approximately 1750 participants.

b. ISHA has worked with associations and sponsoring

organizations for NGOs, such as Voluntary Health

Associations of the States, Christian Children's Fund, etc, to

train their Member Organizations in HIV/AIDS Control activities

at the grass-root level.

c. Conducted training programmes for grass root level youth

leaders and community leaders on HIV-AIDS control, in Gokak,

Chikkodi, Athni and Raibag taluks of Belgaum District, in Udupi

taluk of Dakshina Kannada District, Dharwar Sishu Kalyana Kendra,

Dharwar, and Honavar taluk of Uttar Kannada District, Central

Tibetan Secretariat at Dharamshala and settlements in

Karnataka,Dehradun,U.P. In collaboration with NGOs at Bangalore,

Integrated Family Welfare Project, REDS, Rayapuram Slum Development

Society, training the staff and community leaders in slums of

Bangalore.

d. Conducted series of training programmes for medical

officers, nursing, and administrative staff of Tata Tea,

Brook-Bond-Lipton, Assam Oil, Plantation Medical Officers in North

Eastern States, Nursing Administrators participating in our

national

level nursing administration courses, PSG Institute of Medical

Sciences Coimbatore; Meenakshi Mission Hospital, Balco Hospital,

Korba, Tata Main Hospital, Jamshedpur; Rourkela Steel Hospital,

Rourkela, and other public sector organizations.

e. Conducted five one-week training Programmes on, " Counselling

Techniques " , at National level to train health

professionals, managers, and lay counsellors in counselling,

specifically for HIV-AIDS and drug abuse management and

prevention.

B. PUBLICATIONS

At the request of Government of India's, and in

collaboration with Department of Science and Technology,

published a premier book on HIV-AIDS - An Update for Action. The

manuscript was reviewed by WHO and NACO. Shri P.R.Dasgupta,

Project Director and Additional Secretary, NACO, wrote the

Foreword. Subsequently, besides the above publication, the

following publications have been brought out.

i. Comprehensive Document on HIV-AIDS in North Eastern States for

Government of India, and North Eastern Council.

ii. ISHA Journal : " Health Administrator " December 1993 Issue devoted

to " HIV - AIDS in India : Epidemiology Diagnosis, Prevention and

Control "

iii.HIV-AIDS: An Update for Action in Kannada-1994

iv. HIV-AIDS in India: Present Status and Critical Issues (under

print, 2000).

Published four-page pamphlets in English and Kannada, one lakh

copies each, for mass distribution in the awareness building

workshops. Also a series of 10 cloth posters covering all aspects

of HIV-AIDS for display in the seminar rooms were prepared. These

are used for enrichment of the seminars wherever conducted.

f. Published a Book on " Counselling Techniques " , to enable

medical and paramedical professionals, and volunteers, develop

counselling skills to counsel persons and families affected by HIV.

g. Currently preparing an important publication: " Guidelines for

Infection Control in Hospital and Primary Health Care Facilities "

for prevention of HIV infection in health care settings.

C. EXTENSION EDUCATION AND AWARENESS BUILDING

h. ISHA organized the World AIDS Day, December 1, 1994, and 1996,

in collaboration with Karnataka State Government, Indian Medical

Association, and NGOs in which over 1000 professionals, community

leaders, representatives of voluntary organizations, doctors,

nurses, and students participated.

i.An exhibition was also organized in collaboration with Indian

Social Health Organization. Television and radio broadcasts and

panel discussions were also arranged.

j. In collaboration with the Government of Karnataka, undertook a

comprehensive " HIV - AIDS Awareness Programme " to cover 40,000

high school and college students, and 10,000 KSRTC bus drivers,

conductors, mechanics, and office staff, during 1996-97.

k. Currently preparing a film on " Mental Health, Adjustment, and

Rehabilitation of the AIDS Persons " to be readied by early 1998.

We hope to show this film in schools, colleges, industries, and to

the general public throughout India to create awareness for

prevention of HIV, and build social support for the AIDS

persons for physical, social, psychological, and economic

rehabilitation.

D. RESEARCH, DOCUMENTATION, AND INTERVENTION STRATEGIES

l. A National Meeting was organised at Bangalore December 1-3, 1996,

on " HIV -AIDS in India - Present Status, Diagnosis and Management " ,

towards bringing out a comprehensive documentation of research

findings and experiences related to HIV - AIDS in India, and create

a data bank for the use of policy-makers, professionals, and

researchers. Nearly 200 professionals and administrators from all

over the country participated.

m. Keeping in view the need to promote healthy life style and

quality

of life, completed a major study on Health of the Youth in Slums of

Bangalore " covering nearly 200 slums. This included medical and health

check-up, including HIV testing of nearly 5000 youth, specifically

from SC/ST groups. The Study was conducted in collaboration with

the Municipal Corporation of Bangalore, and with partial

financial assistance of Department of Science and Technology, New

Delhi, 1994.

n. In collaboration with, and partial financial assistance of the

Department of Science and Technology, ovt of India, conducted

during 1996-97, a comprehensive study on " Healthy Life-Style,

Education, and HIV - AIDS Awareness " , for 500 male and 500 female

youth in 20 slums of Bangalore. These are intensive workshops

involving attitude and behavioural changes regarding nutrition,

hygiene, sanitation, pregnancy, sexual behaviour, STD, HIV-AIDS, drug

addiction, alcoholism, and general personality development.

o. Completed a major study in 1996 with the partial financial

assistance of Department of Science and Technology , New Delhi

on Blood Supply, Requirements, and Safe Blood Practices to

project HIV infection in two major cities in Karnataka State-

Bangalore and Hubli-Dharwar. This study covered all the hospitals

and nursing homes in the public and private sector in the two

cities.

p. To assess and project infection and health hazards,

completed a major study in 1997 on Management of Hospital Waste

and Radio-Activity Survey in Bangalore and Hubli-Dharwar,

Karnataka State with the partial financial assistance of

Environmental Fund for NGOs, New Delhi.

q. Keeping in view the requirement for safe blood supply

through voluntary blood donors to minimize blood infections, and

greater patient recovery and survival, there is a need to motivate

voluntary blood donors. Towards this objective, a comprehensive

study is underway on attitude and motivation of donors and

non-blood donors in Bangalore and Hubli-Dharwar. This study should

help health organizations and the community in normal and disaster

situations in mobilizing adequate safe blood supply to meet

with the future requirements.

r. As soon as during 1999, ISHA building is readied, 24 hours free

counselling services based on preventive and holistic medicine would

be offered to HIV-AIDS persons, drug addicts, alcoholics, family

adjustment, CSWs, and persons with terminal diseases of cancer,

diabetes, and heart diseases.

Our community awareness, education, and intervention projects

are financed by ISHA, and no financial assistance is received from

any source. ISHA is able to make this contribution with the

positive support and trust in ISHA for its professional resources, by

the Government of India, State Governments, WHO, NACO, Department of

Science and Technology, professional educational institutions, NGOS,

public sector industrial organizations, and private

institutions.

E.FIGHT AGAINST AIDS

To create awareness about HIV-AIDS, prevention of HIV-AIDS,

counselling high risk groups, grief handling, and community

rehabilitation of AIDS persons, ISHA has initiated a national

campaign on " Fight Against AIDS " through our Members all over

India, and in collaboration with IT industry.

_______________________

INDIAN SOCIETY OF HEALTH ADMINISTRATORS, (ISHA)

104(15/37), CAMBRIDGE ROAD CROSS, ULSOOR, BANGALORE-560 008

CABLE: HEALTHADMN Telephones: 5574297/5555410/5531979

FAX: 080 - 5574297 E-mail: ashoksah@...

Website: www.bangalore-education.com/isha or www.medicindia.com/isha