HCHW launches Prathibimb: Reaching the Unreached

Hyderabad|India|December'2010:Hyderabad Council of Human Welfare-AP. a well established nonprofit secular organization working relentlessly in the area of Child Rights and HIV/AIDS announces Prathibimb at Sangareddy in Medak District. Mr. Suresh Kumar, Medak District Collector announced the launch of the same. Speaking on the occasion he said every one must strive hard to eradicate HIV from our lives.

HCHW has also organised a stall creating awareness on the HIV. To spread awarenss about HIV and to fight against the discrimination about HIV patients, HCHW launched One Crore Signature Campaign.

Speaking about its initiatives, Director of HCHW Dr. Rafiuddin said HCHW has taken up the challenge of addressing the issue of HIV/AIDS in Andhra Pradesh and has done commendable work in this area over the last two years. We have been implementing the Comprehensive District HIV Program (Link Worker Scheme) of NACO in collaboration with UNICEF and APSACS in Siddipet and Ramyampet clusters of Medak district comprising of 14 Mandals and 37 core villages.

We are also the lead partner for Balasahyoga which is being implemented in three districts of Telangana region in Andhra Pradesh including Medak. Today Balasahyoga is operational in 11 districts of Andhra Pradesh. It is India’s first initiative to help children infected with HIV/AIDS and their families, Rafiuddin added.

Considering our commendable work in the district in the last one year, APSACS has given HCHW the responsibility of running the Mobile Integrated Counseling and Testing Centre in Medak through which we aim to reach the hard to reach vulnerable population living in remote areas. Also, we have just signed an agreement with India HIV/AIDS Alliance for the implementation of Avahan Project (involving Targeted Intervention) in Sangareddy, Siddipet and Gajwel divisions of Medak district informed Rafiuddin.

Andhra Pradesh is one of the country’s highest HIV/AIDS prevalence state. According to NACO, out of 5.1 million estimated HIV/AIDS cases in India, about 10% are in Andhra Pradesh. Hyderabad Council of Human Welfare, a pioneer in the area of Child Rights in Hyderabad has committed itself to address the issue of HIV/AIDS in the state and has taken the pledge to work relentlessly towards making Andhra Pradesh HIV/AIDS free.

The implementation of the Comprehensive District HIV Program and Link Worker Scheme of NACO with the support of APSACS and UNICEF in Medak district was the first step taken by HCHW towards this goal. The program started way back in April 2009, from which, it has come a long way today. HCHW has reached out to 2000 female sex workers, 100 men having sex with men, 24000 vulnerable young men and women and 500 men and women living with HIV/AIDS over a period of one and a half years. 9,500 vulnerable people have been referred to integrated counseling and testing centre out of which 7000 have received treatment. HCHW has also made efforts to identify and mitigate sexually transmitted diseases and TB in the district. This has been achieved through various activities like one to one and one to group sessions with vulnerable population, condom distributions and condom demonstrations, mass awareness activities like the Kalajatha, Mobile Exhibition and Film Shows and networking and advocacy with the various governmental and non-governmental stakeholders.