Prevention of sexual route of HIV – Asian and Indian context

In any kind of multiple sexual relationship scenario, correct and consistent use of condoms in all penetrative sexual acts – peno-vaginal, peno-oral nad peno-anal  (100% condom use) should be promoted as the priority strategy and it should be sustained over a period of time to achieve the desired result of prevention of HIV transmission via sexual route. Asia has already experienced the good results of 100% CUP  with the high risk communities like sex workers because the condom promotion strategy was adopted as one of the primary strategies during inception of the AIDS control programs of the Asian countries during the nineties.  HIV prevalence among sex workers have already shown downward trend in many of the Asian countries for last several years that clearly indicates effectiveness of 100% CUP to reduce HIV transmission in the context of concurrent multiple partnership within the sex work set ups. The HIV prevention projects should be designed to establish this prioritized primary intervention with the strategic advocacy in place to address the socio-cultural and religious issues that generally revolves around use of condoms.

The Indian context has actually brought the revolution in the HIV/AIDS sector by giving birth to the structural intervention concept which does not stop at BCC but tries the explore the underlying and deep rooted causes of vulnerability to HIV, especially with the high risk groups. Thus for sex workers it is their profession and criminalized status in the Asian countries that increase their vulnerability to HIV, not just behavior. The Indian programs have been designed to address the structural issues to modify the risky behaviors through interventions like collectivization of the community members and their empowerment, formation of CBOs (Community Based Organizations) and finally community ownership by keeping the community members at the driver's seat of the programs.

At the same time prevention initiative remained the topmost priority in India from the beginning of our AIDS control program with maximum resources (almost 70%) allotted to support the prevention activities.

Sugata Mukhopadhyay
Universal Health

Ensure STI management and control

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=141949852501811&set=a.151760364854093.34802.133130480050415#!/pages/Ensure-STI-management-and-control/156563737690883

Links to TB/HIV Collaboration

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/TBHIV-collaboration/133130480050415

Scope of Work - Universal Health

‘Universal Health’ is a voluntary, non-profit public health agency. It is founded by some highly dedicated, motivated and thoroughly experienced public health physicians of India.

 The agency will have core governing body members with expertise in various aspects of public health and social development as the policy and decision makers of the agency. The agency will hire consultants for time-bound assignments. The agency will provide support to the public health programs globally though the main focus will be in India and South-East Asia.

Vision: Universal access to healthcare to ensure ‘health for all’

Mission: 3 ‘E’s

·         Enhance access to appropriate healthcare services

·         Ensure quality in healthcare services

·         Enable healthy practices in the vulnerable and at –risk communities

Objectives:

·         To implement and develop model community-based public health interventions as ‘demonstration sites’ for National Health Programs

·         To provide technical, managerial and operational assistance to public health programs of other non-government and government organizations

·         To enhance the capacities of the public health professionals and staffs of the health programs

·         To strengthen the community health systems for sustainable development

·         To publish burning social issues, prominent public health topics and important epidemiological information in the blog (http://universalhealth2010.blogspot.com) of the organization for creating awareness, sensitization and mobilization

Core values: 3 ‘R’s (concept adopted from Durbar)

·         Respect to the underprivileged, marginalized and criminalized community members

·         Reliance on the calibers of the community members

·         Recognition of country specific, institution specific and community specific welfare policies

Organizational key functional strategies

1)      Providing technical assistance to the public health projects[1] of various non-government and government organizations whenever such support asked

2)      Direct implementation of high quality public health projects for underprivileged, vulnerable and at-risk population and in underserved areas as ‘model projects’

Expertise available with the agency – 2 level expertise

1)      Expertise for providing high quality, timely and need-based technical assistance to non-government and government organizations in their public health projects

2)      Expertise to implement high quality public health projects and develop model interventions with demonstration of promising practices

Providing high quality, timely and need-based technical assistance to non-government and government organizations in their public health projects

 The agency will provide high quality, timely and need-based services to the wide range of clients starting from grass root level CBOs, NGOs, FBOs and community networks to district/state/national level government and non-government organizations. The agency will aim to provide comprehensive and complete services like:

·         Conduct need assessment and baseline surveys prior to project proposal development and subsequently develop project concept, design, framework, action plan, budget and M/E plan

·         Conduct review of project proposal through mock exercises

·         Review/revise/develop suitable materials for the project like training modules, operational guidelines, protocols and tools, IEC and BCC materials, flip charts

·         Conduct mid-term and end line evaluation of the project including developing evaluation plan, methodologies, tools and finally evaluation report

·         Capacity building of the project staffs, healthcare providers, community, policy makers on various aspects of the projects

·         Organizing large public health events – conferences, seminars, workshops etc

·         Provide support to roll out the projects including monitoring, mentoring and community involvement

·         Conduct pilot, operational research, clinical trial, drug trial, health camps

·         Help to identify promising practices from the past and present projects and their documentation for future growth opportunities and  publications in recognized journals and conferences

·         Help to develop institutional archives through appropriate data and information management

·         System strengthening: Infrastructure, human resources, materials and MIS at public health

Implement high quality public health projects and develop model interventions with demonstration of promising practices

·         Implement high quality public health projects for the underprivileged population and in the underserved areas with monitoring and evaluation of the project

·         Working effectively with multiple partners – government and non-government

·         Working appropriately in multi-cultural environment

·         Developing promising practices in the projects

·         Project documentation

·         Appropriate Operational Research in the project

·         Financial and administrative management of the projects

·         Provide high quality progress report to the donors

·         Scientific publication


Sugata Mukhopadhyay
Universal Health

[1] Communicable, Non-communicable, Occupational and Environmental health intervention projects 

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