TN, Dharmapuri: District level Positive living action network

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

APAN is a registered society under Tamilnadu societies act 1975 in view of

improve quality of life of PLHA and to reduce Prevalence of HIV in the

Dharmapuri District. APAN – Dharmapuri consists of 368 memberships already, also

there are 50 members willing to join in this network.

APAN-Dharmapuri conducted its half yearly general body on 26.10.2006

at SEARCH meeting hall at Karimangalam where 178 of its members

participated. During this meeting their achievements in last six months had been

shared later the issues and challenges before them and their strategies to

tackle by the network were discussed. Based on this discussion there are some

demands put before Government and

Nongovernmental organizations.

Achievements:

APAN conducted regular support group meeting in all the blocks

in the District once in a month the issues and learning's were

shared widely through District Net work board and Block net work

council members

The above process pave the way to mobilize resources/services

else where like micro credit support for 248 PLHA's, skill

development training for 50 PLHA's, Nutritional support for 250

PLHA's and ART for 72 PLHA's etc

Institututional care for 59 orphan and vulnerable running by

SEARCH a national level NGO made possible by the regular

consultations with APAN indeed this net work was promoted by SEARH

only

APAN with support of District police department and volunteer

advocates solved 18 sociolegal issues of PLHA's

APAN running a Drop in center at Dharmapuri by raising

community resources especially with the support of self help groups

APAN organized exhibitions and awareness programs in high risk

sites during fairs and festivals

APAN being a active member in District AIDS Advisory Committee

influencing pro policies related to PLHA & Vulnerable families such

as preference in employment in anganwadies and local government,

Widow and deserted women pensions and related support schemes

Like above there are many not able to elaborate

Issues and challenges

Medical problems

Long Distance and economical problem to access ART center at

Salem

Lack of proper facility for O.I. in PHC's

No X ray facilities in sub district hospitals since T.B. is

the major O.I. in the district

CD4 machine not working since 4 months at salem which leads

many of our PLHA's suffer from getting ART

Health Care Providers attitude:

in some of the PHC's HCPs are not willing to provide treatment

to PLHA's

Social problems

Family level discriminations

Denial to register a case complained by the PLHA in one of the

police station

Neighborhood and workplace discrimination

Denial to provide residence for rent to PLHA for one case

Denial to issue ration card one case

Putting blame on women PLHA by their in-laws

Legal problems

Denial to open account for PLHA one case

Denial to allow PLHA as daughter in-law to enjoy her

property/Residence rights

Economical and Employment problems

Most of the cases are unemployed due work place

discriminations or not coping with the employment

Denial to access credit in Nationalized banks to start self

business

Not able to bear cost of extra nutritional requirements and

some cases not even their day to day food stuffs

Demands

Ensuring access to correct information: Family, extended

family members, care givers need to be provided with correct

information

Psychosocial support for PLHA and their Family Members.

Address needs of children affected by HIV and AIDS in the

District.

Counselors to address the family level discriminations and

look in to blame of in-laws etc.

Ensuring access for parents/care givers of affected children

with

Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Widow pension, schemes for

homeless women, Economic empowerment for SC/ST through girl child

marriage scheme, vocational training for girl children and various

other support schemes

Expert committee to explicitly monitor quality of facilities

for PLHA and their family members.

Evolve monitoring indicators for key indicators in providing

care support for PLHA and their family members.

Involve PLHA and their family members in program and policy

designing, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

(GICA- Greater involvement of Children living with HIV/AIDS,

Support for CAHA - Children affected by HIV and AIDS) to be

initiated in the district

Institutional strengthening for training, human resource

support and resources to build capacity support for children living

with HIV and AIDS in community, home based and institutional care.

Need for specific schemes for economic support to the care of

children living with and affected by HIV and AIDS.

ART center at District head quarter G.H. with CD4 machine.

Micro and macro nutrition supplement shall be supplied

through ART center.

The PLHA required conveyance those who are coming from far

distance to ART center.

In each ART center two counselor should be there (male and

female)

Infrastructure Facilities like drinking water, seating,

arrangements; sanitary facilities and shelters should be provided in

ICTC/ART center

Periodical training to health care providers

(Doctors/Counselors s, Pharmacist, Lab Tech. etc.)

Specialized health care providers required for children

(Pediatrician) in all ART- District.

All the Hospital Staff to be sensitized on ART facilities.

Universal precaution materials shall be made available at all

hospitals up to District level.

Pediatric medicine for first/second line regimen and provide

same color codes to maintain adherence

IEC materials on ART education/adherence shall be developed

and disseminated.

Information about marginalized community to be disseminated.

All the PHC's should have accessibility to OI

treatment.

IEC should be developed easy manner on OI treatment and

disseminated with the simple language, which will be very useful and

easy to understanding for PLHA.

Periodic capacity building workshop to health care providers.

All OI services should be provided under one roof.

Easy access of Opportunistic Infection (OI) treatment

Counselor should be appointed for OI treatment in all

government hospital.

Doctors should consult or treat person minimum five minutes

and should be available all six days.

We required male and female STI doctors in G.H. for six

days in a week.

Community care center or Positive living center to be

established in the district head quarters

PLHA should not be discriminated at any place particularly

in Hospital, NGO's, workplace, schools and family.

There should be equal treatment for HIV Positive in all

government hospitals.

If government hospital prescribed to do the CD4count and OI

medicine at outside in that case reimbursement can be made for the

PLHA

Ensure Universal precaution material available at hospitals

up to District level.

New PHLA should be informed about the network by the concern

counselor and doctor.

Care home should be run by PLHA network.

VCTC and PPTCT should be at all Sub District levels.

In PPTCT HIV positive women should not suffer in queue.

Involvements of PLHA in health care providers committee,

District, TB control committee, District health system management

committee

District level GIPA implementation plan to be developed

through District Aids Advisory Committee.

Capacity Building for PLHA Network.

Training on issues of PLHA

Training on positive prevention

Training on MIS & leadership.

Strengthening District level network.

Free Traveling under Disability Act

Influence policy through District Advisory Committee to

provide Insurance Schemes for PLHA and their dependents.

Note: All the Grant programs/Projects should be sanctioned to NGO or

networks after pucca scrutiny based on their performance and

transparency. Even after provide grants setting targets and

output/outcome based monitoring and evaluation to be established for

further release of funds to ensure value for money

Kongan B.M.

Advisor - APAN-Dharmapuri

e-mail: apan_dpi@...