Poor HIV/AIDS Knowledge of HIV/AIDS NGOs

[Guest guest]

South India is not faring any better

Monday, February 11, 2008 19:06 [iST]

Staff meant to spread awareness about HIV/Aids is ignorant about

basics, finds survey

Mumbai: It's not just the Mumbai-based NGOs that are getting the

stick. Several groups in South India, which aim to spread awareness

about HIV/Aids, are facing flak for not practising what they preach.

If a study conducted by Netherlands-based NGO Stop Aids Now (San) is

to be believed, NGOs meant to educated corporates and masses about

HIV/Aids are ignorant, even insensitive about the issues and towards

the people they are dealing with.

The study, conducted across Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu

on 45 NGOs working in Aids awareness, education, poverty alleviation,

and eradication of child labour, found that most NGOs did not have a

policy to deal with HIV/Aids-affected staff at the workplace.

" It was shocking to find that most staff at these NGOs was under the

influence of the commoner's belief that Aids spreads only through

sexual intercourse and hence their attitude came as a blockage for

bias-free work among the affected, " said Saud Akhtar, India-based

programme coordinator for San.

" Today, everyone is vulnerable to Aids, not just people who are in

the flesh trade. Our experiences in Africa suggest that early

intervention has been negated by lack of skilled and experienced

staff. Only three out of the 45 NGOs we surveyed in India had

enforced an effective workplace policy, " Akhtar explained.

Sangama, one of the 45 NGOs, which targets the high-risk community of

gays, lesbians, transsexuals and bisexuals, concentrated only on

fighting for the rights of the community.

" We did not even think of HIV/Aids prevention through a workplace

policy till San approached us. After eight years of forming the

group, we have begun thinking of documenting a policy, " said Reginal

Watts, executive director of Sangama in Bangalore.

http://news.indiainfo.com/2008/02/11/0802111907_sothindia.html

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

Re: /message/8431

It was very interesting to read a story with so much of spices added to it. I

want to clarify on certain issues mentioned in the posting.

1. It was not a study which was carried out by Stop AIDS Now! South India but a

baseline survey of Partner Organizations in three South Indian States of Andhra

Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. These Partners came together " Voluntarily " to

address HIV and AIDS in the Workplace. In the Baseline Survey, staff from

different ranks were invited randomly to participate, from Project Management to

Field Supervisory to Grassroots and Admin and Finance Unit to have a flavour of

staff's knowledge and understanding of the whole issue. Here, I would like to

mention that 40% of the Organizations interviewed, are not into AIDS work.

2. In the Baseline, there were findings where 1% of the 438 respondents said HIV

can transmit through Physical Touch and 3% said by using same toilet can tansmit

HIV. The numbers are so small and one can not label everyone working in NGOs to

be " ignorant and insensitive " abusing the hardships NGOs go through in making

others aware of the pandemic, that too, with limited resources. Here, it should

be noted that around 40% NGOs that were surveyed are not into direct AIDS work

and these NGOs also need correct and consistent information on the pandemic. But

NGO workplaces hardly attract anyboby's attention as these are not very

attractive to many.

3. The policies Stop AIDS Now ! South India Partners are intending to develop

are 'General Staff Policies', 'Staff Health Policies' and so on and not

specifically HIV and AIDS policies, to check stigmatization of the pandemic at

the workplaces and at the same time, treating HIV and AIDS as any other chronic

illness.

4. It will be unfair to say 'most' of the staff had commoner's belief since the

numbers are very less but still the time is ripe to treat NGO people as " human

beings " and not some one from the outer space who knows each and everything.

5. There were some terms used in the posting like 'Flesh trade' which were never

used. Its very unethical on part of people reporting in somebody elses name

without verifying the facts.

I request you all to kindly visit the following link for more details and to

know what actually was discussed.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Bangalore/NGOs_help_offices_evolve_HIV\

_policy/articleshow/2765676.cms

I request people who post articles like these to verify the facts and not

degrading the efforts of NGOs, as a whole, and NGOs who have come forward to

mainstream HIV internally, for their staff and for the Organization as well.

For more details, please contact;

Saud Akhtar

Program Coordinator

Stop AIDS Now!

South India

e-mail: <saud_akhtar27@...>