AIRTDS: Introducing an HIV/AIDs NGO from AP

[Guest guest]

AIRTDS is a Non-Governmental Voluntary organisation implementing HIV / AIDS

Prevention programme in the districts of Andhra Pradesh. Since 1996, with a

network of 14 NGOs and outreach of 4,500 sex workers and distributing 5 laksh

condoms among the communities. The Government of Andhra Pradesh AIDS Control

Director extended his co-operation with free supply of 5 lakh condoms per month

in the beginning. In the second onwards, the supply was stopped.

AIRTDS have led delegations to Director, National AIDS Control Organisation

(NACO) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India,

New Delhi. There upon instructions were issued to the Director, State AIDS

Control Society to supply 5 lakh condoms freely to AIRTDS. In that year one

consignment of 72,00,000 was received. After that the bulk supplies of condoms

were stopped on the plea that the Government is adopting social marketing of

condoms, at Rs.0.10ps per piece.

Our programme is supported by HIVOS, Netherlands. In the original Proposals,

it was a pre-condition that the network must be able to get free condoms from

the Government.

Another salient feature of the programme is Counselling Centres in the District

Head Quarters of Government General Hospitals in the STDs ward. These

counsellors were trained by foreign deputed trainers like Dr.Ham Siemens, M.S.

form International Gestalt Institute, Netherlands etc,.

The ultimate goal of the Project is start and train Community Based

Organisations of sex workers, so that can run the programme without outside

help. Accordingly in many places, CBOs were started and registered under

Societies Registration Act xxi of 1860. Training programmes are being conducted

for members of these CBO by resource persons. The CBOs are obtaining condoms

from the respective districts from District Medical & Health Officers or

District Leprosy Officers (Nodal officers for HIV / AIDS Prevention Programme)

in small quantities.

Our programme have achieved good results that in some communities the sex

workers are flatly refusing clients who do not use condoms. At some places, the

clients themselves are bringing condoms with them by themselves.

At this juncture, when the programme is developed for a period of five years,

and motivating both the sex workers and clients for compulsory condom usage, the

Government have stopped supply of condoms. This abrupt act may lead to increase

in the number of HIV infections through unsafe sex method. We thank you again

for contacting us.

Yours faithfully,

Y. Sambasivarao

Secretary.

E-mail:ssali786@...

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