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| Home >> Mainstreaming HIV |
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Mainstreaming HIV
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HIV/AIDS is not a health issue alone – the causes and impact are multi-sectoral – therefore the interventions for preventing spread of the virus need coordinated efforts by various sectors and departments. The focus of all organizations in mainstreaming is to adapt their core areas of work to respond to the challenges of HIV/AIDS.
Mainstreaming is usually understood as a process whereby an organization analyses how HIV/AIDS can impact it now and in the future, and subsequently considers how policies, decisions and actions may influence the longer term development of the epidemic.
The HIV/AIDS Mainstreaming Project under NACP – III is a key initiative taken up with UNDP support for mainstreaming of HIV/AIDS into the ongoing policies, programmes and activities of relevant government departments, private sector and civil society organizations including through involvement of networks of positive people.
The project covers 25 districts in 5 states (Orissa, Bihar, Chhatisgarh, Rajasthan & Uttar Pradesh). A State Mainstreaming Unit (SMU) has been set up in Orissa since August 2007 to coordinate activities of the project.
The underlying principles of GIPA (Greater Involvement of Persons Living with HIV/AIDS) and gender equity are cross-cutting in all mainstreaming initiatives.
A State level Council on AIDS presided by Hon’ble Minister, Health and Family Welfare, has been established to give policy direction and guidance to efforts of various Departments in the context of HIV prevention and Control. The first meeting was held on 31st October 2007 attended by Secretaries and other senior officials of the Govt.
Mainstreaming in the Government sector:
In Orissa, the following Departments are being taken up on a priority basis – Panchayati Raj, Housing and Urban Development, Women and Child Development, Home, Rural Development, ST and SC and Minorities Development, Tourism, Higher Education, School and Mass Education, Youth and Sports Affairs, Labour, Industries and Steel and Mines. A State level Steering Committee has been formed to review the activities of Mainstreaming on a quarterly basis.
For the first time in the country, HIV positive persons have been covered without any exclusions under a social security scheme – the Madhubabu Pension Yojana – wherein each HIV positive person becomes eligible for a monthly pension of Rs 200 throughout his/her lifetime.
Information and Counselling stalls were set up in partnership with the ST and SC Development Department and the Panchayati Raj Department, respectively, at the state level Adivasi Mela and the Sisir Sara mela in Bhubaneswar in December 2007 and January 2008.
Training of Anganwadi workers, ASHAs and ANMs (Auxilliary Nurse midwife) has started in the district of Ganjam by trained CDPOs, Block Extension Educators and trainers of ICDS programme.
A HIV session was included in a 2 day training of trainers of the Home Department on 1st and 2nd of March, 2008.
The Labour and Employment Department, Govt of Orissa, has made an amendment to the Orissa Motor Transport Workers’ Rules, wherein clauses related to HIV related stigma and discrimination, health care benefits, work rights and redundancy issues and awareness for motor transport workers have been included.
Mainstreaming in Corporate Sector:
Worldwide, industry is losing a huge chunk of its productive workforce to HIV -unless we take positive steps to mitigate it now, Orissa could be losing out a significant portion of its workforce to HIV.
Orissa has a rapidly growing services sector – while we address the traditional industries like mineral and agro-based industries, there certainly needs to be a focus on the service sector.
A consultation was held in November 2007 where heads of major private and public sector undertakings and federations of Indian industry (CII, UCCI) participated. As an outcome of the meeting, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has agreed to partner with OSACS in setting up a corporate Anti-RetroViral centre in the state in 2008.
With the rapid industrialization foreseen for the state in the coming years, corporate sector HIV mainstreaming would need significant strengthening, if we are to consolidate the development gains from industrialization without HIV/AIDS affecting industry negatively.
A meeting with Trade unions was held on 16th April 2008 in collaboration with Hindusthan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust (HLFPPT) and OXFAM, wherein all the major central trade Unions committed themselves to HIV prevention and Control.
Mainstreaming in Civil Society:
The focus of Mainstreaming in civil society is to encourage community development which takes into account the causes and impact of the HIV epidemic.
A coordination meeting for Greater Involvement of People living with HIV/AIDS was organised. To mainstream HIV/AIDS in Civil Society Sector, two workshops were conducted involving NGOs working in development sector other than the Health sector, NRHM partners in RCH –II Project in category “A” & “B” districts of the state were involved. The main objectives of the workshop was to discuss & develop a specific strategy and related coordinated mechanism among all the organizations /agencies working in the Civil Society.
The SMU will focus its activities at the state level as well as in six high prevalence districts (Ganjam, Balasore, Bhadrak, Khurda, Angul and Bolangir) for Mainstreaming of HIV/AIDS.
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