INTRODUCTION

The growing incidence of HIV/AIDS is not only vulnerable population like CSW with 58% positivity. Men having sex with men 23% and 18% with the STD Clinics attendees but also among the blood donor 1% to 2%, pregnant womens 2.5% to 3.5% is a major cause of worry. What is more frightening is the growing risk taking behaviour amongst the adolescents, youth and even adult women and men for various reasons and circumstances compulsions. These attempt to address this “risk taking behaviour” will in effect result in reducing new addition to the infection of HIV. Spreading word is the best way of doing it.

The exhibition van which has been developed with complete exhibition on HIV/AIDS with special sensitivity to the largest audience like youth & women will be extremely useful tool to break the barrier of ignorance. The van with facility of audio visual presentation and the services of trained counselors will provide added advantage of providing this most needed support of counseling in very critical and sensitive personal problems. The audio visual will attract the ‘hard nits’ and motivate difficult groups to seek information on this dangerous but neglected subjects. The efforts will be to create awareness so as to make the subject of AIDS more generalized than stigmatized. Also to reduce the scare due to death associated with HIV / AIDS.

The print material will also be distributed to provide a reference point.

The van will be a direct contact communication hence has tremendous potentials to make a difference by providing door steps guide for all details of HIV/AIDS including the service center like STD Clinics, Voluntary Counseling and Testing Centre, Care Centre, NGO network etc,.

The small van with the facility of audiovisual presentations will reach to the remotest of remote villages in the neighbouring districts of Mumbai, where still the information channels are not easily available. The medium of short movies, documentary and spot will be used to attract the audience. The counselor along with the van will then take a small group discussion to deal on the specific questions of specific segments like youth, women, men etc. the pictorial print materials will be developed for effective referral documents. The van will facilitate the ice breaking exercise where the HIV / AIDS is nor even discussed due to its association to sex, csws, and condom. The van will also infused enthusiasm amongst the local bodies like grampanchayats to address this issue to reduce the stigma and discrimination attached to it.

The interactive voice mail system is a unique way of facilitating information seeking with highest level of confidentiality. The system will have 2 telephone number attached to toll free line of 1097 provided by NACO. This facility will be given extensive publicity by PCIF and MDACS and hence the utilization of the same will be optimized. It is expected that 100 to 150 calls will be received daily, which will be attended by trained personal. The service will also be a contact point established a referral network for those who need it. It would be 24 hours services connected to the computer when not attended by the staff. Hence any one in Mumbai can call at any time to seek information related to every thing about HIV/AIDS.

We are planning to adopt 2000 HIV positive people and provide them with life sustaining medicines where in they can improve their immune system.

THE PROBLEM:
The direct contact through these services provided unique opportunity for effective communication, which would be a strong step ahead for desired behaviour change.

THE CHALLENGE:
The last hut in the slum and the shack at the end of the villages is the target of the project. It would be its endeavours to educate people to accept that the epidemic is there and if can hit to them at any time hence the prevention is better. The life style is the key answer to effectively dealing the problem than relying on anything external like condom.

PAST EXPERIENCE
In the past three years we have helped 363 patients in different hospital for different ailments to the sum of Rs.27,43,295/-. But this doesn’t reflect the correct number of beneficiaries who have benefited by different services catered by Trustees of the Trust. We have managed 24 eye camps in the past three years and distributed 13,326 spectacles free of cost, 419 people were operated for cataract free of cost with the support of Lions Club, Sponsors and Dedicated Doctors.

In addition to above services we use to meet HIV infected people and counsel them / their family members and provide some medicine to improve their immune system.

WORK RELATED TO HIV / AIDS

1. In association with J.J.Hosptial we are starting Awareness program by showing films on AIDS Awareness at J.J.Hospital campus on every Monday and Friday afternoon 1.00 pm to 5.00 pma
2. In association with Mumbai Districts AIDS Control Society we have started Interactive Voice Mail System with out any financial support from MDACS.
3. We are running a maruti van equipped with TV/VCD player with music system for AIDS AWARENESS program in Mumbai, Vasai, Nallasopara, Virar area that has been donated by ASIAN FOUNDATION FOR HELP, LONDON, U.K.

We do telephone counseling for HIV infected people / family members and provide moral support.

We distribute free condom and education material to people free, which is provided by MDACS. for more info Visit www.mdacs.org

Click here for more info..... (download ms-word file)