Tamil Nadu Success Story - more details and contacts

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum Members,

Fllowing my recent posting on the Tamil Nadu success story in controlling

AIDS, there have been requests for a more detailed note, copies of

documentation, contacts etc. The following note may be useful.

LOW-COST CARE IN A GOVT HOSPITAL: THE TAMBARAM HOSPITAL:

Tamil Nadu, a southern state in India, has a population of around 60

million (roughly the same as Thailand's). In Tambaram, a suburb just south

of the state's capital Chennai (formerly known as Madras), the state

government's 700-bed hospital for chest diseases (formerly known as the TB

Sanatorium) houses the largest number of AIDS patients in a single hospital

in India. Currently, it has over 500 in-patients. The number has been

increasing rapidly because of the excellent quality of care provided by the

chief of that hospital, Dr. C.N. Deivanayagam (or " Dr.CND " as he is

popularly known, who retired recently) and his dedicated team of doctors

and para-medical staff. The Tambaram hospital has become very widely known

and has patients from several other states of India where they could not

get treatment and humane care. One can see patients from states like

Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh which have a far higher HIV prevalence in

the general population than that of Tamil Nadu. There are separate wards

for male and female patients. One or two members of the patient's family

are allowed to stay inside the hospital complex. Treatment for major

opportunistic infections like TB is given to the patients. While the

hospital is fully funded out of the Tamil Nadu state government's health

budget, additional funds for some drugs come from the Tamil Nadu State AIDS

Control Society (TNSACS), the state government agency implementing HIV/AIDS

control programmes under the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) of

the central government. Those who need information on the Tambaram hospital

may visit their website at <http://education.vsnl.com/thoracic> or email

Dr. CND at <thoracic@...> and <cdeivanayagam@...>

TAMIL ANDU STATE AIDS CONTROL SOCIETY (TNASACS):

Tamil Nadu state has long been a pioneer in AIDS control efforts in India,

far ahead of every other state. The highly successful " society " model of

TNSACS (in operation since 1994) has now been replicated in all states of

India under the second phase of the National AIDS Control Project

(1999-2004). The TNSACS model's strengths are:

- Programme managment with flexibility and autonomy,

- Participation of NGOs and HIV positive persons in the decision-making

process,

- Very effective IEC campaign,

- Transparent process to fund NGOs and

- Funding to care and support activities including to positive people's

netwroks like INP Plus and TNPluz.

TNSACS took a significant and exemplary step in 1997 when it employed two

HIV positive women widowed by their husbands who died of AIDS and inducted

a HIV positive person (who was also the President of INP Plus) into its

highest decision making body, the Executive Committee. Those who need

further information on the TNSACS model or need printed/other material on

TNSACS and its activities, please write to:

Dr. K. Gopal, MBBS, IAS,

Project Director, TNSACS,

417, Pantheon Road, Egmore,

Chennai-600008, India.

Phone: (91-44) 825-5261 and 825-4917

email <tansacs@...>

NETWORKS OF HIV POSITIVE PEOPLE:

Tamil Nadu has taken the lead in nurturing the development of HIV positive

people's networks like INP Plus and TNPluz. Those who need information on

the activities of INP Plus, a national level organisation for HIV positive

persons, can email Mr. Ashok Pillai at :<inpplus@...> Those who need

information on TNPluz, a State level organisation for HIV positive people,

can email Mr. Rama. Pandian at <tnpluz@...>

AIDS PREVENTION AND CONTROL PROJECT (APAC):

The USAID funded AIDS Prevention and Control Project (APAC) in Tamil Nadu,

launched in 1995, has been another spectacular success story, acclaimed for

its targetted interventions approach and its research & survey activities,

especially the annual behaviour sentinel surveillance (BSS) surveys and a

survey to estimate the community prevalence of STDs and HIV. APAC surveys

have shown that a very high degree of behaviour change in the high-risk

behaviour populations in Tamil Nadu has occurred within a very short period

and at a very low cost (roughly US dollars six million per year), due to

the joint efforts of TNSACS and APAC. In fact, this highly successful

partnership between a government agency and a large nodal NGO funded by a

bilateral donor (USAID) is also being hailed as a model for states where

more than one agency is implementing AIDS control efforts. (This is

important because several other bilateral donors, notably DFID of UK,

Canadian CIDA and AUSAID are already working in some states of India or are

planning to do so in the near future.) Officials of TNSACS and APAC have

been working closely to pool their resources and also to avoid duplication

of efforts. Those who need further information on APAC may

email:<apacvhs@...> Those who need printed or other material on APAC

may write to:

Dr. Bimal ,

Project Director, APAC,

VHS Compound,

Taramani,

Chennai-600113, India.

Phone: (91-44) 254-1965 & 254-1048

Email: <apacvhs@...>

As a result of the combined efforts of TNSACS and APAC, there is emerging

evidence that the HIV epidemic may be beginning to slow down in Tamil Nadu.

The success in Tamil Nadu within a very short span of time and at a very

low cost holds much promise for the rest of India and for other developing

nations in the region. AIDS control in the world is an area where despair

is high and success stories are hard to come by; but the Tamil Nadu

experience, from public-private-NGO partnerships, programme management,

awareness creation and targetted interventions to care and support, is a

ray of hope and optimism.

(These are my personal views and not of the Government or of any other

organisation)

S. Ramasundaram, IAS

Joint Secretary

Dept of Commerce,

Govt of India

Room 288, Udyog Bhavan

New Delhi-110011,

INDIA

Phone: (91-11) 301-1771

Email:ramasundaram@...

(Formerly: Project Director of TNSACS (1996-97); The World Bank's Technical

Liaison Officer to NACO for designing the second phase (1998-99)