Message from Project Director
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from Project Director
The world has come to recognise HIV/AIDS as a major developmental challenge as there
is no known cure for Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) till now. The situation
of HIV/AIDS in India is serious with the spread no longer confined to high risk
groups alone. Having penetrated into the general population it is now fast spreading
to rural areas, placing women and youth at much greater risk and there is an growing
population of children who are born with this infection. The increasing vulnerability
of the general population calls for a well coordinated national effort in order
to contain the infection from spreading it further.
Issues related to HIV/AIDS are complex in nature as the infection affects not only
the individual, family or community but the society as a whole. Apart from health,
there are other socio-economic and cultural constraints attached to this infection
which makes it different from other diseases. There is an urgent need to equip people
with knowledge and skills enabling them to know how to protect themselves. Along
with prevention, awareness is required in the area of ‘care and support’ to those
who are infected and affected with HIV/AIDS.
In Uttar Pradesh, HIV is primarily transmitted through outmigration to various other
states. Uttar Pradesh State AIDS Control Society (UPSACS), the nodal agency on HIV/AIDS
for the state of Uttar Pradesh, has been implementing a number of prevention interventions
among migrants, truck drivers, female sex workers, men having sex with men and injecting
drug users in the entire state. Prevention of Parent To Child Transmission (PPTCT),
Blood Safety, control of sexually transmitted infection services have been scaled
up in the whole state.
UPSACS provides free Counselling and Testing facilities for HIV infected people
through ICTC and PPTCT centres, F-ICTC situated in district hospitals and through
centres on public –private partnership basis. There are facilities for Antiretroviral
Treatment (ART) of persons living with HIV in all the Medical Colleges in the state
and in selected district hospitals, where burden of HIV is high. Various services
mentioned above have been scaled up greatly during the last few years and more and
more people from the state are utilizing these services. Number of children and
women living with HIV utilizing various services like PPTCT and ART have been continuously
increasing over the years. All these interventions have yielded good results and
there is evidence of stabilizing or declining trend of HIV in the state. RTI/STI
services are being provided through STD clinics branded as ‘Suraksha Clinics’ situated
in District Hospitals and Medical Colleges in the state. Blood Banks facilities
in the state are available through 89 Government / NACO supported, 188 private sector
and 8 blood banks in army hospitals.
The stigma associated with HIV/AIDS has been a major barrier to all the efforts
being made for its prevention. It also works as an impediment in mitigating its
impact on individuals and communities. Many myths and misconceptions about HIV/AIDS
exist even today. Lack of information as well as inadequate dialogue on safe sex
has made people more vulnerable to HIV. People living with HIV/AIDS face discrimination
in society, at work places, educational institutions and sometimes even at their
homes. UPSACS has been persistently working on dissemination of information and
creating awareness through its effective and visible IEC initiatives across the
state. HIV/AIDS can be effectively addressed only through a multi-sectoral approach.
Involvement and support of various government and non government institutions and
civil society organization is needed to create an enabling environment free of stigma
and discrimination for the infected and affected in the society. Active participation
of youth in voluntary blood donation can save the lives of many who die due to unavailability
of safe blood. Let us all to come together and join hands in achieving our goal
of ‘Zero Prevalence’, ‘Zero death’ and ‘Zero New Infection’ in the state of Uttar
Pradesh.
Gaurav Dayal ,IAS Project Director, (UPSACS)