India HIV/AIDS Alliance

An estimated 2.4 million people are living with HIV in India. Nationally around 0.3% of adults are infected but there is wide geographical variation, with two thirds of infections reported in six of the country’s twenty-nine states (Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Manipur, Nagaland and Karnataka). HIV prevalence is 4-5 times higher in these than in other Indian states. Rates of infection among sex workers remain high, despite recent declines in areas that have been the focus of targeted prevention efforts, such as the southern states and some major cities. HIV remains uncontrolled among men who have sex with men, with infection rates of approximately 10%. In the north eastern states, injecting drug use is the main risk factor for infection. New pockets of high HIV prevalence among injecting drug users are also emerging in Punjab, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala and Maharashtra. There are no reliable estimates of the number of AIDS orphans in India. With UNICEF calculating that there are more than 25 million orphans in total, it is clear that the epidemic’s burden on families and children is substantial.

India HIV/AIDS Alliance (or, Alliance India) is a pioneer in fostering and supporting the development of community-driven approaches to HIV prevention, care and support and impact mitigation. The last including reducing stigma and discrimination, particularly among the most vulnerable and marginalised communities key to the epidemic – sex workers, men who have sex with men (MSM), injecting drug users (IDUs) and adults and children living with and/or affected by HIV. Alliance India is a network of five strong national intermediary organisations, Linking Organisations across Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Delhi states, and a state partner in Manipur. To know more about our partners click on their logos below. These LOs in turn work in partnership with their networks of over 100 community-based non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and community-based organisations (CBOs). Alliance India supports these organisations by providing financial and responsive technical support including technical assistance, skills building, policy, programmatic and organisational development inputs.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

• Reached 80,311 people through HIV prevention activities in 2008
• Distributed 21 million condoms
• Financially supported 201 organisations to work at community level
• Reached 8,035 decision makers or leaders through advocacy
• Supported 14,491 orphans and vulnerable children
• Diagnosed and/or treated 51,710 people at supported STI clinics

A strong network

Supported by a national secretariat in Delhi, the Alliance’s presence in India comprises five linking organisations, one state partner and their networks of more than one hundred community-based organisations.

The linking organisations are:

• Vasavya Mahila Mandali (VMM)
• Mamta Health Institute for Mother and Child (MAMTA)
• Palmyrah Workers Development Society (PWDS)
• LEPRA Society
• Alliance for AIDS Action (AAA).

Avahan

Avahan is a focused prevention initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. AAA and LEPRA implement Avahan in 14 districts of Andhra Pradesh. Its key objectives are to reduce the prevalence of STIs among key populations (sex workers, transgender people and men who have sex with men); empower and mobilise individuals, groups and communities; and support the creation of an enabling environment through individual and organisational capacity building. So far more than 70,000 key population members have been reached. To guarantee the long-term future of the Avahan projects, AAA will hand over their management to the government in a phased process ending in 2012.

CHAHA

CHAHA is a home- and community-based care and support project financed by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (Round 6). All Alliance linking organisations and SASO help to implement this programme in 40 districts of four states, working with 54 implementing partners. CHAHA reaches out to families and children affected by HIV, including children living with HIV, orphans and vulnerable children. Its goal is to provide a package of care and support services to 64,000 children by 2011. CHAHA is the only comprehensive care and support programme for children affected by HIV in India of this scale, and has been consistently achieving the Global Fund’s “A-grade” rating.

Working with female drug users

SASO implements a small-scale, innovative programme for female injecting drug users in Manipur, with unrestricted funding from the Alliance. It focuses on providing free basic healthcare by a female doctor, counselling and referrals to essential services. The programme also runs a drop-in centre and a night shelter for female injecting drug users – the only ones of their kind in the state and also in India. The programme has already reached 171 of the 700 estimated female injecting drug users in its two focus districts.

START AP

AAA runs START AP in Andhra Pradesh to help marginalised populations access and adhere to HIV treatment, which is provided by the government. This unique programme demonstrates how treatment can be integrated with prevention, care and support. START AP has reached 358 people living with HIV of whom 213 have received their CD4 counts and 90 are receiving free antiretroviral treatment from the government. The programme receives unrestricted funding from the Alliance.

SRH-HIV Integration

This programme, funded by the Hewlett Foundation, facilitates integration of HIV services with services for sexual and reproductive health (SRH), with the intention to generate ample evidence to influence the policy environment for future programming on SRH and HIV integration. The programme is working towards increasing knowledge about services at community level and hence generating an informed demand by using innovative communication approaches (suraksha haats). It also works towards establishing institutional linkages with health facilities and sensitisation and training of local health providers.

Regional Technical Support Hub

Alliance India hosts the Alliance Regional Technical Support Hub for Asia, which provides technical assistance to strengthen local responses to HIV and AIDS.

Knowledge Portal - SETU

Alliance India also facilitates inter-country learning and knowledge management through services including its online resource centre, SETU. It is the developer and manager of SETU – a knowledge portal on HIV/AIDS in South Asia. It is a one-stop shop for information and knowledge on HIV/AIDS in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Maldives. It is aimed at developing an open, networked and informed society that can use knowledge to make change.

Open source platform for the people’s portal

SETU has been developed using Drupal, an open source content management system that allows users to easily publish, manage and organise their content. The choice of an open source platform for SETU reflects the strong belief that knowledge must be widely accessible and freely shared between a vibrant community of knowledge providers and seekers.

CONTACT DETAILS

India HIV/AIDS Alliance
Kushal House, Third Floor, 39 Nehru Place, New Delhi 11 0019, India
TEL: +91 11 41633081
FAX: +91 11 41633085
EMAIL: setu@allianceindia.org
WEB: www.aidsallianceindia.net

To know more about the work of Alliance India and to access its resources click here