Targeted Intervention
Targeted intervention is a very significant component of National AIDS Control Programme (NACP). These interventions provide an opportunity to provide comprehensive and integrated HIV prevention as well as care and support services to extremely marginalized High Risk Groups, such as Female Sex Workers (FSWs), Men who have Sex with Men (MSMs), Transgenders (TGs), People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) and also to bridge populations like Migrant workers and long distance Truckers. NACO, in partnership with NGOs/CBOs, provides thee HIV prevention, care and support (to those who are infected) services to these group in a very user friendly manner, that is, at a place and time most convenient to the community and they can easily access these services without any fear of stigma and discrimination.
Following are the major services offered under a TI project:
- Inter personal Behavior Change Communication (BCC)
- Promotion/ distributions of commodities
- (Condoms, Jelly to MSM & TGs and fresh needles and syringes to PWID)
- Provision of diagnosis and treatment of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
- Linkages to Integrated Counselling and Testing (ICTC) for testing for HIV and Syphilis
- Advocacy for creation of Enabling Environment
- Community Mobilization
It is estimated that in more than 85% of the cases, HIV has spread through unprotected sex. It is well established that not all in the community share the same risk of getting the infection. In India (and so also in Ahmedabad) the infection is still in the concentrated group of HRGs (FSWs, MSMs, TGs and IDUs). In order to ensure that the infection doesn’t spread to the general population Targeted Intervention programme is being implemented under the NACP, with the support of Civil Society Organizations (NGOs/CBOs).
Targeted Intervention is considered to be one of the most effective strategy to control the further spread of the infection and ensuring that those who are infected are reached out to and put on treatment so as to ensure that their quality of life improves and they are motivated to adopt safe sex practices to not to spread the infection further. Targeted Intervention project is implemented with HRGs (FSW, MSM, TG and IDUs) and with bridge populations (Migrants and Truckers).
Following are the major components of the programme
- Behavior Change Communication ( BCC)
- Condom Promotion
- Referral and Linkages
- STI Care
- Community Mobilization
- Creating Enabling environment
Ahmedabad Municipal corporation AIDS Control Society (AMC-ACS) has been implementing the Targeted Interventions project in Ahmedabad Municipal corporation area with the partnership of Local NGO/CBOs. Currently, 15 TIs are being implemented across the city and there is also one 1 Opioid Substitution Therapy Centre, linked to the TI working with IDUs is functional under the project. Typology wise details of TIs are hereunder:
|
FSW Intervention: |
02 |
|
MSM Intervention:
|
02 |
|
IDU Intervention: |
01 |
|
Migrants Intervention: |
09 |
|
Truckers Intervention: |
01 |
|
OST Centre: |
01 |
7 TI evaluated in March 2018
As per the directives from NACO 15 TIs were evaluated in March 2018. Out of these TIs 21 TIs achieved A grade, 41 TIs got B grade, 08 TIs could get C grade.
